The Reporter
by TheSuperNerdyNanny
Summary: Emily Anderson is a new reporter at The Daily Bugle when she gets an assignment to research and write on the Rhino. But she's not working alone, Jameson tells her to work with a weird photographer. Emily now has to juggle her work and finding out just who Peter Parker is. Rated for strong language. Peter Parker/OC Cover is mine
1. Chapter 1 - First Day

If you would have told me a year ago I would get a Pulitzer I would have laughed until I cried. If you told me six months ago I would get a call New York offering me a job at the Daily Bugle I would probably have had you committed. But here I am, holding my cat in his carrier and staring up at the impossibly high apartment building. My apartment building.

I had thought living in Sacramento, California for all my life would have prepared me to see skyscrapers. Turns out I didn't really know the full meaning of "skyscraper" until I was looking at buildings that seemed to literally scrape the sky. Sacramento was a small town in comparison to New York. I wish I could say I wasn't scared and that my confidence was as tall as the buildings, but I was about to piss my pants in fear.

No, I was just going to piss my pants.

After paying my taxi driver (a lovely man named Dopinder) and removing my luggage from the trunk, I carefully maneuvered myself through the throng of people toward my apartment. I opened the door, juggling my bags and cat and made my way to the elevator.

When I reached the elevator to my bladder's dismay I noticed that there was a hastily scribbled note written in what looked suspiciously like crayon, "Elevater closed, sorry."

"God damn idiot," I grumbled angrily to myself because taking out my frustration at the poor individual who was misspelled "elevator" was certainly healthy.

Five sweaty floors later I finally made it to my apartment. After entering, I wasted no time in dropping my luggage on the floor and making a mad dash to the bathroom. Luckily for me, the previous tenant left toilet paper so I wasn't stuck there after I had done my business. This was especially good for me considering I hadn't thought to grab some from my bag beforehand.

After leaving the bathroom, I went to my cat's carrier and carefully extracted my angry kitty.

"There, there Pumpkin, it's ok we're home now," I cooed softly into his ear. "I know you're scared, but you'll get used to it soon." I wasn't sure if I was talking to him or myself but these words seemed to soothe both of us. I put down my orange fluffy cat to let him roam his new environment. As he did that, I took that moment to take a look for myself as well.

The apartment had basic furniture and boxes moved in already, as I had had them sent ahead of me. It wasn't necessarily small, but it wasn't big either. At least it had a bedroom. In Sacramento I was stuck in a studio apartment and since I would be getting significantly more money at the Bugle I made sure to get a place with a separate bedroom. There was brick on one wall across from the admittedly cramped kitchen and a small space where a couch was already present. All in all, definitely not a bad set up. I even had a little balcony! Well, okay it was a fire escape but I'm going to count it.

After ordering pizza since I was far too lazy and tired to cook, I put sheets on my bed and laid down. I had to get up early the next morning to meet my new boss, Mr. Jameson.

It was extremely hard to fall asleep that night. The fear of being in a brand new city across the country and the constant sirens and noise kept me up for hours before exhaustion took me. And even when I slept, my dreams were filled with buildings that kept growing up and up and up and sirens blaring loudly as they grew.

The Daily Bugle building was bigger than I expected, and at that point I had already begun to expect more than I had before arriving to New York. It was intimidating and the modern architecture gave it a cold, hard presence very unlike my warm newspaper building I left behind. After gawking at the structure, I took a deep breath and walked through the doors.

As I stood in front of the fully functional (thank god) elevator, I saw a man step next to me out of my peripheral vision. He was taller than me, something that I wasn't used to in comparison to my 6'0" stature. In my curiosity, I snuck a sideways peek at him. Brown hair and glasses was the only thing I could make out from my fast glance. After second look, I saw he was carrying a manila folder and had a pretty beaten up camera dangling from his neck. _Ah, a photographer,_ I thought. I considered introducing myself, but he seemed to be running on barely any sleep and looked grumpy. I decided not to bug him.

After what felt like forever, the elevator doors opened. The man next to me finally noticed my presence as we both nearly ran into each other while starting toward the open doors. He mumbled an apology and gestured for me to enter the elevator first which I did with an equally quiet thanks.

He pushed the button marked "10" which I noticed was the same floor I was headed to. "What floor?" He asked without looking at my face.

"Actually, I'm headed to 10 as well," I responded with a small smile. At this, he finally met my eyes and studied me as if trying to identify me. While he tried futility to remember me, I took the opportunity to freely ogle his face. He was _hot_. Not in the traditional modelesque sense, but in an adorable nerd, geeky sort of way. While I memorized his face for future reference since I assumed he was a colleague (and definitely not for any other reason) I noticed a bruise above his left eyebrow and a scrape on his cheek. _What happened to him?_

"I don't know you," he said finally. I laughed.

"Your powers of perception are staggering. I just moved here from California, I'm the new reporter," I offered my hand for him to shake and he took it. "Emily." He finally allowed me a minuscule upturn of his mouth.

"Peter."

"Nice to meet you Peter," I said smiling.

"Yeah, same here."

We fell into an awkward silence as the elevator slowly inched upward toward the tenth floor. Eventually I couldn't take it and needed to say something to break the tension.

"Rough night?" I asked, gesturing toward his bruised face. He furrowed his brow, confused and absentmindedly touched where I pointed to. He immediately grimaced and let his arm fall back to his side.

"Uh yeah, I got into a fight," Peter said finally. I chuckled a bit.

"Funny, you don't seem like the type to get into fights," I responded. He gave me a full smile now.

"You'd be surprised," he said cryptically. I snorted softly and opened my mouth to say something sarcastic and witty when the elevator jerked slightly and the doors opened. Peter turned to me and said "Welcome to the Daily Bugle," before leaving the cramped space.

"Thanks!" I called after him and stepped out myself.

Glancing around the large room I saw lots of people bustling around cubicles and handing off papers. I heard the familiar clicking of keyboards and printers and breathed in the smell of newspaper ink. _Finally_ , I thought. _Something I know._

I maneuvered my way across the floor to the largest room, which had a large plaque labeled "J. JONAH JAMESON" in large bold font next to the door. I glanced around the vicinity looking for a possible secretary when I found a young woman sitting in a desk nearby. She was stunning. I immediately felt a little intimidated by her put together and effortless appearance. I often didn't bother with much make up, only using the bare minimum to make sure my eyebrows and eyelashes were visible to the human eye and my dark circles from sleepless nights writing weren't totally noticeable. But she took make up to a place I didn't think people actually went to in real life besides Instagram and YouTube.

I cautiously approached and looked for her name plate. I located it after a few seconds and read the name "BETTY BRANT" before making it to the desk.

"Hi, my name is-"

"Ah! Emily Anderson, we've been expecting you!" Betty interrupted with a full tooth grin. "I read your piece, it was great, Mr. Jameson really loved it especially, with all the anti-hero business in it. He went on and on about how it was about time that someone say these criminals for who they are- yada yada yada. He was so thrilled to hear you accepted the job offer, I hope you don't get too bored of superheroes, I expect he will want you to write all about them while you are here."

I blinked a few times, trying to register everything she said, even though she had been speaking faster than I had heard anyone talk before.

"Umm, thank you!" I finally said. "Although I wouldn't say it was 'anti-hero,' I was just trying to bring to light some of the things the general public seem to forget about them, like the loss of life, the financial ruin we find ourselves in whenever they disagree with each other-"

"Yes, yes, yes," she interjected again. "I know, but that's not what Mr. Jameson read. He tends to like articles geared more toward 'anti-hero' so he gets what he wants out of it." I smiled hesitantly. "Well, let's have you meet him, shall we? Why don't you wait here for just a moment," Betty gestured toward an empty seat next to her desk. "Peter should be out of his office soon, I think he just came in to drop off pictures. He usually doesn't come in personally, just emails them, but I think Mr. Jameson wanted to yell at him in person this time."

No sooner had the last word left her lips, than Peter opened the door. I met his eyes and nodded my head in greeting. He nodded back and was about to leave when Mr. J Jonah Jameson himself came to the door. He was a middle-aged man with a flat haircut, wild eyes, and a cigar stuck between his teeth. His face was beet red, as if he had already been yelling.

"PARKER. I mean it, I want better pictures or I won't pay you!" Jameson yelled after him. I flinched, even though I wasn't the object of his frustration. Peter, however, was nonplussed.

"I gotcha, Mr. Jameson, I'll do better next time," Peter waved him off without even looking back and walked toward the elevator. Jameson muttered angrily and was about to close his door before Betty spoke up.

"Oh sir! Ms. Anderson is here, sir," she said quickly. Jameson turned back around and looked me up and down.

"Right, the Californian," he said unimpressed. I tried to smile, but wasn't sure if I succeeded.

"That's me, sir, it's a pleasure to me-"

"Yeah, yeah shut up, get in," he said pointing into his office. _Good lord does everyone interrupt each other in New York?_ I walked in nervously, hoping to not get the same treatment as the

man before me.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Soooooo this is my first story here! I hope that you guys like it, it's just something to keep me occupied when I'm not at work or in class. I'm hoping to update once a week, but I can't make any promises with my schedule unfortunately_?

 _This story is also on Wattpad, and there I have illustrations throughout the chapters as well. I can't post links here, so_ _https(/www_ _(wattpad(com/myworks/121890891-the-reporter so just replace all the ( with periods except the first where you put in a colon. If you don't want to go through all that, if you just search "girlwhohateswaiting" and "wattpad" my profile should come up from there._

 _Much love!_


	2. Chapter 2 - J Jonah Jameson

I walked into the large office with a good amount of trepidation. I had just seen this man yell at his own photographer and threaten to not pay him unless he got better photos. I wasn't looking forward to what he could scream at me if I wasn't careful. I made a huge mental note to keep my back-talking in check for this first meeting and sat in one of the chairs across from Jameson's desk.

"Alright, welcome to the Daily Bugle all that jazz," he started gruffly, taking his own seat.

"So you're the chick who wrote the article about the criminals roaming around the world lately."

"I wouldn't call them criminals sir," I started, ignoring my previous mental note. "I think they are vigilantes who need to learn the danger they put our world in." Jameson stares at me for a few moments, one eyebrow raised.

"Whatever _you_ call them doesn't matter, I say they are criminals!" His voice raised through the sentence and was filled with spittle. I reluctantly tried to look as submissive as possible. There was no way I was getting anywhere with him.

"Yes sir, my apologies," I muttered. He grinned.

"Goodie," Jameson said thumping a hand on his desk. "Now, I am putting you in charge of these menaces, I want an article on them everyday. I want their names plastered in our paper around the city so the people will see them for who they truly are!" I nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely, sir," I said.

"Alright now get out, Ms. Brant will get you set up with a badge and all that nonsense. Go write me articles!" I blanched at the sudden dismissal but rose from my seat all the same, walking to the door.

I closed it behind me, making eye contact with Betty still seated at her desk. She smiled understandingly at my deer in headlights expression.

"You get used to it, hun," she said, standing. She walked around her desk and to me, looping her arm through mine. "Let's get you settled in shall we?"

* * *

The rest of my first day at the Bugle consisted of signing papers, getting my picture taken for my press badge, and setting up my cubicle. I met a few of my colleagues, but they were so stressed from meeting the evening deadline that they didn't pay much attention to me. I didn't mind though, I preferred working alone.

There were, however, five things I learned about my new boss Mr. Jameson in particular:

1) He likes to yell. A lot.

2) If he's not yelling, he's smoking his cartoonish cigar.

3) His wife calls him constantly and he doesn't care.

4) He has an astronaut son who he is very proud of and makes sure to tell everyone about.

5) He HATES Spider-Man.

I thought he just hated all superheroes, but most of his disdain was exclusively toward the masked webcrawler and he made it well known. Throughout my first day I could hear his screams across the floor, bellowing about Spider-Man.

"He's a criminal! A worthless piece of person!"

"Did you see him robbing that bank yesterday?!"

"ANDERSON, MAKE SURE TO WRITE AN ARTICLE ON THAT MENACE, SPIDER-MAN!"

I also learned quickly not to show when he made me jump with his suddenly loud voice. The one time I did he happened to be walking behind me and resulted in him yelling straight at me: "What are you shaking for newbie, get back to work!" I learned my lesson after that.

It was dark by the time I left the building. I tried to make my way to the nearby subway as quickly as possible because even though my mom forced me to take self defense classes before moving, I wasn't exactly jumping at the opportunity to be mugged. I knew that I was probably being ultra paranoid, but even so, I kept one hand in my pocket on my pepper spray.

While meandering my way down the sidewalk I noticed a small blue and red figure swinging in between buildings and getting closer.

 _Holy shit it's Spider-Man!_

I fumbled quickly through my purse, cursing, hoping to locate my phone and pull it out prepared to take a video I could possibly get pictures from later. When I finally get my hand on it though, Spider-Man was already swinging right above me, through a nearby alleyway and out of sight.

"Dammit!" I exclaimed angrily. _Second night in New York I see Spider-Man and I miss getting his picture? Just my luck!_ Grumbling in frustration, I made my way to the subway and back to my apartment.

Pumpkin was waiting for me at his food dish when I got home. He meowed expectantly.

"Sorry baby, I know I'm home kind of late," I cooed, grabbing his dinner from the closet. I filled his bowl with the appropriate amount and flopped down on the couch.

"Ugh," I groaned. "Pumpkin, I'm not so sure about this job anymore. My boss is kind of an asshole, ya know? And I barely know anyone except for his secretary and I could hardly keep up with what she was saying she talked so fast," I rubbed my face with my hands, smearing my mascara. "I mean, I did also meet this photographer, Peter. I don't remember his last name, was it Peterson? No that's stupid, why would his parents name him Peter, then. Whatever, it doesn't matter, I think he's only freelance and sends his pictures in so I don't think I will see much of him." I leaned my head back to look at Pumpkin who was completely ignoring me and still eating his food. "Some friend you are," I mumbled.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _ooOOoops did I say I would update once a week? Well here's another one early 'cuz I had it ready so why tf not right? This updating more than once a week won't be a regular thing tho, so don't get used to it lol_

 _Sorry I know this isn't as long as the first chapter._? _Forgive me! Peter comes back next chapter!_

 _Much love!_


	3. Chapter 3 - The Rhino Returns

It was a month or two before I finally got used to the hustle and bustle of New York City.

I was still reporting on the multitude of super human activity, but on the command of Jameson I was almost exclusively writing about Spider-Man. I may not like superheroes, as I thought their presence brought out worse and worse opposition, but I didn't think they were maliciously trying to hurt the city like Jameson did. I wasn't happy about being forced to write these kind of articles, but a job is a job and I had to remember that.

It was after lunch one day when I was asked into Jameson's office. Well, I say "asked" but really it was more like a loud scream of "ANDERSON, GET IN HERE!"

I groaned loudly before standing and pulling my reluctant body toward Jameson's office. Betty smiled and waved to me as I passed which I returned with a polite nod and smile of my own. I still wasn't sure if I liked her or not. She talks way too much.

When I entered Jameson's office I noticed to my shock that the cute man with glasses and bruises I met on my first day was already there. Patrick? Phil? Something with a P. It had been too long ago for me to remember. When I had opened the door, he turned and made eye contact with me. I smiled in greeting, which he returned somewhat half-heartedly. I saw that his scrapes from last time had disappeared, only to be replaced by totally different ones.

Jameson wasn't willing to wait for us to make polite conversation however, for as soon as the door swung closed he exclaimed, "Finally, you're both here, you two know each other?" The man and I shrugged noncommittally. "Ok Parker, meet Anderson, Anderson meet Parker, whatever, that doesn't really matter." Jameson paused here, as if trying to have us ask his business for us being there.

"So then what can we do for you Mr. Jameson?" I inquired after a moment.

"Glad you asked! Rhino has escaped prison and is on the run. I need you both to find him, photograph him, and find out what he and Spider-Man are planning together," he said leaning back in his chair. Parker let out a frustrated huff but said nothing while I stared dumbly.

"But sir," I began quickly, trying to reason with him. "It's well known that they aren't teammates, Spider-Man has fought the Rhino on multiple occasions, he's the one who sent him to prison two years ago!" Jameson shrugged.

"I don't keep track of their lover's spats," he said. "They are still up to something I just know it! Find out what it is!"

"Mr. Jameson, I really don't think I feel comfortable portraying Spider-Man in that kind of way," I said firmly. Yes, I had been writing less than positive things about the webcrawler, but I made sure never to outright demonize him as a villain. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Parker look at me in surprise before masking his reaction carefully.

"Well it's a damn good thing I don't really care about what you think then!" Jameson exclaimed loudly. "Do your job, Anderson! Parker, go with her when she does research I want more pictures!" At this, Parker finally spoke up.

"Mr. Jameson, you know I work alone, Spider-Man won't let anyone else take pictures of him-"

"Then find the Rhino and take pictures of him when you are working with Anderson. And do research while you wait, I want more hands on deck with this one and I can't spare any other reporters. You've been to college, Parker, you'll figure it out," he said. "I don't care how you work it out just make it happen! Now get out!"

Parker and I left the room and stood outside the door in silence for a moment. Eventually he swiveled around to face me.

"So," he started embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your first name. . ."

"It's Emily," I said. "Your name starts with a "P" I think?" He laughed.

"Peter."

"That's the one." I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Soooo. . . Do you want to compare schedules so we can start researching?" He nodded. "Ok cool, follow me." I lead the way to my cubicle next to the printer and sat at my desk while Peter pulled up a chair.

"I'm pretty busy," he said evasively. "I don't know when we can find time to work together, maybe we should research separately and compile our information." I pulled out my planner anyway and met his brown eyes.

"Oh don't worry, I'm flexible," I said cheerfully grabbing a pen and preparing to write. "How does Wednesday afternoon sound? Today is Monday so that gives us a few da-"

"I'm busy," he interrupted quickly. I blinked, taken aback.

"Alright that's ok," I said, undeterred. "What about Thursday?"

"I have a photoshoot."

"Friday."

"I'm taking my aunt to a doctor appointment."

"Saturday."

"I'm going to the doctor."

"Sunday?"

"Uhh I have to take my dog to the vet."

"Next Monday!"

He opened his mouth but after a few moments, no words came out. I could tell he was trying to come up with an excuse but none came to mind.

"Perfect!" I said hastily before he could formulate a good reason not to meet up. "We will meet next Monday, let's say around 11am? There's a great coffee shop I discovered around the corner, we can meet there, get coffee then come here to start our research. Sound good?" Peter reluctantly nodded. "Fabulous, write down your phone number for me so I can text you a reminder. You are _such_ a busy man I would hate for you to accidentally forget." He scribbled his name and number on the paper I offered.

"So I guess I'll see you in a week," he said with no expression whatsoever. I scoffed.

"Well don't sound too excited, buddy, I'll start blushing," I said this with a grin, hoping to convey the fact I was just joking around. Peter gave me a half smile in return, something I was starting to realize was a regular thing with him. Almost like he wouldn't allow himself to be totally happy.

"Sorry to disappoint," he said, starting to walk away. "See you Monday!"

"Yeah, alright!" I called after him. Leaning back in my chair, I found myself watching him until he reached the elevators and the second I saw the doors close behind him, I rushed up and speed walked to Betty's desk. As much as I was unsure of her, I was even more unsure of Peter Parker. I hoped she had some information about him.

"Betty!" I hissed as I approached, grabbing the chair in front of her desk and throwing myself into it. She jumped at the sudden movement.

"Oh, hey Em! How was the meeting? I bet it had something to do with the Rhino huh? I just got an alert about him escaping on my pho-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" I interjected quickly before she got on a tangent. "I need to ask you about Peter Parker." Betty giggled and wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"Ooooh! He's cute! Why do you want to know about him?" She winked conspiratorially as if she already knew the answer. I cocked my head in confusion before realizing what she was hinting at.

"No, it's not like that," I replied firmly, waving my hands in denial. "I just got assigned to research and photograph the Rhino with him and I know literally nothing about the guy except his name." Betty laughed.

"Well good luck with that, hun," she said. "Like I said your first day, he doesn't come in much. And even when he does, he's in and out in like ten minutes." She leaned forward a bit, checking her right and left before continuing. "I do know that around four years ago, his girlfriend died really tragically. Like, honestly it was terrible, I thought he would never get over her and to be honest I don't think he has. He's way more moody and depressed since then. Before, I could flirt with him and he would at least _somewhat_ flirt back, now I get nothin.'" She pouted and crossed her arms. "But ya know, there's more important things of course. I couldn't imagine going through what he did. He's never been the same."

"How did she die?" I asked softly.

"She got kidnapped by the Green Goblin. Spider-Man tried to save her but he was too late, Goblin had already killed her." I slouched back in my chair. The only thing I could think to say after that was:

"Shit."

Betty nodded. "Right? Isn't that just horrific?"

I sat motionless for a moment before continuing my questions. "Does he always look like he hasn't slept in several decades?" Betty bobbed her head.

"Oh yeah, that guy never looks awake. He also comes in with lots of scrapes and bruises, I think he's part of a fight club."

I groaned. "Is he at least reliable?" I asked hopefully. She snickered.

"I guess it depends on what you mean by reliable. He is almost always late. He doesn't like hanging out with people so there's always an excuse for why he can't do something. He gets the shit done he needs to get done, it just might be a bit late," she paused for a moment. "But he's still a good guy. When it counts at least. After my boyfriend broke up with me three years ago, Peter brought me a candy bar and let me talk (cry) his ears off for over an hour. He can be a real sweetheart."

"Well, that's something at least," I said. "You get over your ex alright?" Betty gave me the biggest smile I had seen yet from her, and that was saying something.

"Hell yes, I'm so glad that he dumped me. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have met my fiancée, Amber. She is perfection in human form." Betty picked up a photo frame off her desk and showed me a picture of her with a gorgeous woman kissing her cheek. I grinned.

"Wow, you found someone _shorter_ than you," I quipped. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Em."

"I'm just kidding, congratulations!" I said excitedly. "I'm so happy for you!" She bounced in her chair, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

"The wedding is in a few months, I just can't wait, of course you're totally invited. We already sent out the invites but I we made a few extra just in case and I will bring it for you tomorrow oh my god let me show you my dress. . ."

It was another 45 minutes before I was able to extract myself from the conversation and return back to my cubicle. Leaning back in my chair, I held up the piece of paper Peter had written his phone number on. Making a quick decision, I pulled out my phone, saved his information and typed out a quick text.

 _Hey, this is Emily Anderson from the Bugle. I didn't want you to be shocked when a random number texts you Sunday night reminding you about our plans so here's my number._?

As I waited for a response, I thought back to my conversation with Betty. To my surprise, I wasn't annoyed with her during our conversation. Normally, I would try to get out of talking to her but this time I quite enjoyed myself. Maybe we could be friends.

I also recalled what she had told me about Peter. The thought of losing someone so close. . . I couldn't bear to think about it. That explains his anti social behavior and lack of general happiness. But that still doesn't explain the mysterious bruises and scrapes he always seems to have and where they came from.

And I was determined to find out.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _I know Betty is different than in the comics and such, but I wanted so badly to have a fun character so I sorta changed her around a bit._?

 _Much love!_


	4. Chapter 4 - Aleksei Sytsevich

It wasn't until two days later that I finally got a response back from Peter Parker.

 _Cool, thanks._

I rolled my eyes at the informative response. Oh well. As long as he shows up it doesn't really matter.

I quickly forgot about our meeting until Sunday night. I texted Peter a quick message before going to bed, just in case he forgot like I did.

* * *

I knew I was a bit early arriving to the coffee shop, but I didn't have anything back at my place to eat for breakfast and I was seriously hungry. When I placed my order, I also grabbed a plain coffee for Peter. I hoped that this little gesture would help him trust me more. I wanted this to go as smoothly as possible.

While I ate my bagel, I kept glancing down at my phone, watching the time. We were supposed to meet at 11 am. I drummed my fingers against the table.

10:50. Still nothing. But he had ten minutes yet.

I sipped my coffee and decided to start the research without him. Jameson didn't like to be kept waiting, and I knew we were pushing it by starting a week after he assigned us the article.

I was able to find the basics about the Rhino with a simple Google search, that his name was Aleksei Sytsevich, he got his armor from some of his scientist buddies. Unfortunately, besides some blurry pictures of him fighting Spider-Man and a few mugshots, there wasn't much in the way of information. I would have to wait until we got to the Bugle to search deeper. If my partner ever arrived.

11 am came and went and I was still looking at an empty seat. At 11:15 I sighed at pulled out my phone, checking to see if I had missed any texts. To my surprise, I had. It was Peter.

 _Srry im comdin i pormis_

Following the text was a bunch of clown emojis.

"Clowns, the hell?" I mumbled, trying to decode his message. After a moment, it clicked. 'Sorry, I'm coming I promise.' Man, this guy sucks at texting or he is literally sprinting here and couldn't type properly. About ten minutes later, I had my answer. And it was definitely the latter.

The man in question threw open the door to the coffee shop, frantically looking around before his eyes landed on me. I waved in greeting and he lowered himself into the seat across from me. It looked like he had indeed, ran here. His hair was sticking to his forehead and he was breathing heavily.

"Hey!" He gasped. "Sorry, alarm didn't go off, traffic!" I chuckled.

"It's ok Parker, chill." I held out the friendship coffee I purchased for him. "I got you a coffee, sorry if it's not how you like it." He blinked with surprise, not yet taking the drink from my hand.

"You got me a drink?" He asked in amazement. I started to pull my hand back in doubt. _Oh shit, maybe he doesn't like coffee._

"Yeah, I just thought, I don't know," I shrugged. "I guess I hoped that we could be friends? I really want to impress Mr. Jameson, even if he is an asshole. And the way to do that is to work civically together so we could get this thing written." Peter stared at me for a few seconds before nodding slowly.

"You're right, I'm sorry. It's been a rough few days." He outstretched his hand, taking the coffee from me and taking a large gulp.

We sat for a few silent moments.

"So," I started trying to get a conversation going that wasn't totally awkward. "How's your dog?" He stared at me with a blank expression.

"What dog?" Peter asked, perplexed.

"Your dog? The dog that had to go to the vet?" I crossed my arms over my chest, one eyebrow raised. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Right! The dog! Well, umm," he seemed to flounder with his words and didn't finish his sentence. I sighed.

"There was no dog was there?" He looked at me apologetically. "I thought as much."

"No! Ok, it wasn't my dog," Peter said quickly. "It was uhhhh my aunt's dog." I raised both eyebrows skeptically.

"Peter, if we are going to be working together I'm going to need you to be honest with me. I don't want your life story, but I want the truth." He nodded.

"You got it, partner," he said. I grinned.

"Good! Now I'm gonna drop the dog thing for now, but I do have one other question before we get the the Bugle and start researching." He waited expectantly. "Do you suck at texting or did you just not notice the abundance of clown emojis in your text?" Peter balked.

"Excuse me? There weren't clowns." I laughed.

"Check your phone Einstein."

Peter reached into his jacket pocket for his phone and I saw a flash of red fabric before he shoved it away. _Interesting._ I didn't ask, doubting I would get a straight answer anyway.

After a moment, he found our text conversation and I saw the confusion on his face. His reaction was not what I expected.

He laughed.

I had never heard him laugh before now. His laugh was _adorable._ I found myself blushing at this realization.

"That is great! I thought I would be better at texting on the go by now. I guess I better stop _clowning around_." I chuckled at the terrible pun.

"Well, apparently! What were you doing that made you mess up so terribly?" I asked. His smile immediately fell and I saw his carefully built wall went back up.

"Oh you know, rushing to catch the train, same old," he said.

"You must have been really running!"

"I can be fast when I want to be," he said.

"Not fast enough to make it to a research meeting though," I said with a wink. He chuckled.

"I suppose not," he said. "Speaking of research, do you wanna get going?" I nodded, grabbing my bag and coffee.

"Definitely! We have a lot to do!"

We walked out of the coffee shop and started down the busy sidewalk toward the Bugle. We were silent for a few minutes before Peter spoke up.

"You're from California, right?" He asked.

"That's right! Sacramento, California."

"Do you miss it?"

I stopped in my tracks, surprised by the question. He turned around to look at me.

"Yes and no," I said finally, walking forward again. Peter watched me, waiting patiently for me to continue. "I miss my family, of course. I miss the weather. I miss the trees. But I lived there all my life and I needed something. . .more. You know what I mean?" He nodded.

"Definitely. Like you need a purpose."

"Yes! Thank you, someone gets it!" He grinned. "So, anyway. When I applied for the position at the Bugle, I didn't expect to actually get it. I mean I hoped obviously, but I was still surprised."

"I'm glad you got it," he said smiling at me. I blushed again. _This asshole better stop it or I'm going to end up getting a crush._

Changing the subject to hopefully distract from my reddening face, I said "That's a cool camera!" Peter took said device from around his neck and handed it to me.

"Want to take a few pictures?" He asked. I jumped once excitedly.

"Hell yes! I've always wanted to try one of these fancy cameras!" He laughed again. _Wow, twice in one day, I am blessed._

"I wouldn't call it fancy, it's pretty beat up," he said.

"Hey, it's not my phone, so it's fancy. Let me have this Peter!" He threw up his hands in defeat.

"Sorry, sorry!"

As we walked, I started taking photos of everything I saw, the birds, the buildings, I even snuck a few of Peter who just stuck out his tongue at me when he caught me.

"You're a child," I snickered at him. He put a hand to his chest in mock outrage.

"Miss Anderson, I am a grown-up!" He claimed dramatically. I laughed.

"Peter, anyone who uses the phrase 'grown-up' is still a child," I replied.

He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," he said. I laughed again and was about to ask a question about one of the camera settings when he suddenly froze.

"Peter? You ok?" I asked tentatively touching his shoulder. His eyes shot to mine. He looked nervous.

"I have to use the restroom," he said, darting down a nearby alley. "Stay there!" I laughed once in confusion.

"Umm ok," I said. I leaned against a wall, taking a few photos while I waited. At one point, I ended up aiming Peter's camera down the street, zooming in as far as it could go. When I did, I saw something large and gray getting closer and closer. I took my eye from the viewfinder and squinted in the distance. "What the hell is that?" The ground started shaking as the object got closer. It looked almost like-

"Rhino!" I muttered. "Oh shit."

I was about to run as fast as I could down the alley Peter disappeared to when I remembered the camera around my neck. _This could be my moment to take a few pictures! This is either genius or the stupidest thing I've ever done. Or maybe both._

I turned back toward the street, watching the Rhino approach. _Definitely both._

"SPIDER-MAN! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Rhino bellowed as he came charging past, pushing cars and flinging them out of his way. I snapped photos hastily, hoping they were going to be somewhat decent. I didn't want to be potentially risking my life for nothing. In my desperation for photos, however, I didn't notice the car that was flung in my direction. All I saw was the growing shadow above me and by the time I looked up it was too late for me to move. It was only feet away.

 _Fuck._

* * *

 _Much love, all!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Spider-Man VS the Rhino Part

_Last chapter:_

 _In my desperation for photos, however, I didn't notice the car that was flung in my direction. All I saw was the growing shadow above me and by the time I looked up it was too late for me to move. It was only feet away._

 _Fuck._

* * *

I let out a short scream and folded in on myself as if that could protect me from the heavy vehicle about to crush me. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact.

But it didn't come.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes and saw red boots covered with black webbing. I looked up and saw Spider-Man himself holding up the car, blocking it from hitting me. He grunted and threw it to the side before turning to me. I gave a very embarrassed squeak as he held out his gloved hand to me. I took it and he helped me to my feet.

"You ok, miss?" Spider-Man said in a deep voice that sounded almost fake. I nodded wordlessly. "Good, I gotta go kick Rhino butt, could you do me a favor and go hide so you don't get smashed?" I nodded again, violently, but remained frozen in place. Spider-Man waited for a moment, then deciding I wouldn't move by myself, turned me around by my shoulders toward the alley and gave me a gentle push. This was enough for me to shake me out of my fear and I stumbled toward safety.

"HEY BIG, GRAY AND UGLY!" Spider-Man shouted as soon as I was in the alley. The Rhino turned back, noticing the webcrawler for the first time. "Heard you were looking for me!" Spider-Man called.

"There you are little spider!" Rhino snarled, pawing at the road with his mechanized hooves.

To my horror, Rhino charged at Spider-Man, horn pointed directly at his chest. Thankfully, at the last moment Spider-Man shot a web at a nearby light post and leapt up, the Rhino missing him completely. Unable to do anything, I snapped a few photos from my hiding spot.

After slowing down and managing to turn back around, the Rhino glared at Spider-Man who was crouched on the light. "You! You ruined my life Spider-Man! I spent years in jail because of you! Years I can never get back!" Spider-Man shrugged.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you dude, that's what happens when you break the law. Not my problem."

The fight moved so quickly that it was hard for me to keep up. Spider-Man was so fast, at one moment he was in the air, the next minute he was sliding through the Rhino's legs, and just a second after that he would be on top of him trying to ride him like a bull. I continuously snapped photos, focused solely on my task otherwise I knew I might have a meltdown.

Spider-Man at one point was thrown into a nearby wall and didn't return. To my dismay, the Rhino took this opportunity to run the other way down the street. He obviously knew a losing fight when he saw one and knew the best time to back out. I was about to go check on Spider-Man when I saw him swing away through the buildings.

Suddenly, I was alone. I stood silent and immobile, camera still raised in the air ready to shoot. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I just looked at the destruction left in the wake of the fight. _I almost fucking died. Why did I move to New York I was perfectly happy in Sacramento what the hell was I thinking?!_

"Hey!" A voice to my left said. "You alright?" It was Peter. Without thinking, I spun around and hugged him tightly. He stumbled backwards, surprised. "Whoa!"

"S-Spider-Man! Rhino! They were here! They fought!" I gripped on to him and he patted my back awkwardly. "Spider-Man, he saved my _life!_ Oh my god I never said thank you, I just stared at him like a dumbass! Oh god what must he think of me!" Peter chuckled, still supporting my weight.

"He probably thought you were some poor, dumb woman who was too focused on taking pictures to get out of the way," he said. I laughed softly, detangling myself from him.

"Sorry about that," I mumbled, sufficiently embarrassed. He smiled, understandingly.

"It's alright. You get used to it living in New York. But it seeing something like that for the first time can freak anyone out." Peter patted my shoulder again. "Let's get to the Bugle, shall we?" I nodded.

* * *

It was safe to say we didn't get much research done that afternoon. I was, however, able to use the photos taken that morning and whip up a quick article about the fight. It was much easier to write considering I was the eyewitness. The more I wrote, the calmer I felt and the more I was able to critically think about the events. I found myself more determined than ever to find out what the Rhino wanted and how to stop him. One other thing stood out to me as I recalled that morning.

How did Peter know I was distracted by taking pictures?

 _"He probably thought you were some poor, dumb woman who was too focused on taking pictures to get out of the way,"_ he had said.

But how did he know that? I hadn't seen him anywhere near the scene, he had disappeared a few minutes before to find a bathroom. How did he know?

It was then I remembered I was still holding up his camera when he returned. He probably just inferred it from my position. It was suspicious as hell, but possible.

Not only that, but Spider-Man saved my _life._ This whole time I've been writing about him saying how he and the other superheroes are just messing up the world even more. Had I been wrong this whole time? Did I really get my Pulitzer based on lies?

I needed a drink. Badly.

Peter had long since left the Bugle so I didn't want to ask him to go with me. Especially with how I embarrassed myself by grabbing on him like a koala. I groaned and put my head in my hands. I barely knew the guy and I hugged the shit out of him. Well done, me.

I sighed and stood, grabbing my bag as I headed out. I could always get a drink at home. I'll drink with my cat. I was almost to the door when I heard someone say my name.

"'Night, Em! See you tomorrow!" Betty called to me. I stopped and grinned.

"Betty!" I yelled, spinning around quickly and running to her. She yelped.

"Oh my god, what?!" She screamed.

"Betty I need a drink!" I screamed back. She blinked a few times then laughed.

"Oh! I'm not surprised with the day you've had! Amber and I are going out to a bar, come with us," she said smiling brightly.

"Are you sure, I don't want to intrude, I didn't mean to invite myself to your date night-"

"Oh don't be silly, we love hanging out with new people! Well not that you're new new, but you're new enough. You're new to her at least. But yes, please come!" Betty jumped up and down clapping her hands. "It will be so much fun! Please?"

"Alright, alright," I conceded. "As long as Amber wouldn't mind." Betty scoffed.

"Are you kidding, she's gonna love you!"

Amber turned out to be one of the most fun people I had met since moving to New York. Just like the picture Betty proudly displayed on her desk, Amber was absolutely stunning. Not only that, but she was incredibly kind as well as a total sweetheart. Apparently, she taught kindergarten at a nearby elementary school. Talk about a full package! It was obvious how much Betty and Amber absolutely adored each other and it warmed my tipsy heart. I think at one point I was so moved by their love I started to tear up and mumble in my drunken state how perfect they were and how I wished them eternal happiness. Yes, I'm a sappy drunk, ok?

It was late when I finally left the bar, properly buzzed. Luckily I was only a few blocks from my apartment, so I decided to walk home. I wasn't so drunk that I would get lost or fall so I figured it was safe enough. I parted ways with Betty and Amber and began making my way carefully down the sidewalk.

I had only gotten one block when I heard a familiar _thwip_ behind me. I spun around quickly, almost falling over before Spider-Man caught me and straightened me up.

"Whoa there, have a bit too much to drink?" I heard him ask amused. I stared open mouthed.

"It's _you!_ " I gasped. "You saved my life _again!_ " Spider-Man rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

"Again? I remember this morning but I don't remember another time-"

"Just now! I could have fallen to my death!" I exclaimed dramatically, pointing at the sidewalk. He laughed. _His laugh is almost as cute as Peter's._

"Thanks, I guess. Who is Peter?" He asked.

"What?" I said loudly.

"You said my laugh was almost as cute as Peter's."

"I did not, you lie!" I shouted. He laughed again, more loudly this time. "Please don't tell me I did that cliche thing where I think something but accidentally say it out loud!"

"Sorry, miss," he said still chuckling. I groaned and started walking again. "Hey! Let me walk you home!"

"I am perfectly capable of walking myself home, thank you very much!" I said stubbornly.

"I don't doubt it, but it will make me feel better." I threw up my hands in defeat.

"Whatever makes you happy buddy."

"Thanks. . .so who is Peter?" Spider-Man asked again, keeping stride with me.

"A colleague of mine, we are working on an article together. He's really mysterious and weird though, you know? He always comes in with bruises and scrapes. Betty and I think he's part of a fight club." Spider-Man burst out laughing.

"A fight club, huh?"

"Yes! I mean it would make sense, he's always late, maybe he's over sleeping because he got beat up the night before! Illuminati confirmed!" Spider-Man chuckled again. "You do have a cute laugh though but not as cute as his."

Spider-Man paused for a moment before asking, "Do you like him?"

"I don't think so, I just appreciate a good face and laugh. I'm still getting settled, I don't have time for something like that. Besides, I've only had one proper conversation with him. Poor dude still seems to be heartbroken from his girlfriend dying I wouldn't want to get in the middle of that." I realized Spider-Man had stopped a while back and was staring at the ground. "Oh shit, I'm such a moron. I'm sorry I babble when I'm drunk, I don't think. I know you tried to save her. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was." He whispered. "I wasn't fast enough." I stumbled forward, grabbing his masked face with my hands.

"Now you listen here Mister Spider-Man," I started sternly. "You save people on a daily basis. You saved me just this morning and again a few minutes ago-"

"I really don't think I would consider that saving you-"

"SHUSH," I shouted, putting a finger to my lips, then back on his head. "Emily's talking! Listen. You can't save everyone, it's impossible. You did your best and that's all anyone can ask for. Stop beating yourself up about it, ok?" I heard a small chuckle from Spider-Man.

"I can't make any promises," he said, gently removing my hands from his face. I shrugged.

"As long as you try," I said.

We walked in silence for a few moments before I spoke up again.

"Thanks by the way. For saving me."

"You're welcome," he said.

"Sorry I'm kind of drunk," I said stumbling again. He laughed.

"I don't care that you're drunk," Spider-Man said.

"Yeah, but I feel bad that you are walking with me. You have better things to do than walk drunk women home."

"Yeah."

I gasped and turned to him, but saw the cheeks of his mask lift up as if he was smiling behind it. I pushed his shoulder in what I thought was a light joking way, but to my horror he fell over.

"Oh my god I just pushed Spider-Man I am so fucking sorry I can't believe I just did that, I'll never be able to look at myself in the mirror again-" I stopped when I heard roaring laughter from the webcrawler.

"Are you always this gullible or is it just because you are drunk?" He managed to gasp out in between his chuckles.

"Y-you tricked me!"

"Well yeah," he said jumping easily to his feet. "Super-strength, dude, you couldn't push me over even if you wanted to."

"I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE!" I yelled, throwing myself at his body trying to push him down again. He didn't budge. I grumbled and took a few steps back thinking a running start would definitely work.

It didn't. I just succeeded in knocking into him so hard, I bounced off him and fell to the ground instead. I laughed hysterically.

"Oh crap! I'm so sorry are you ok?" Spider-Man said leaning over me.

"Dude you're so _strong_ ," I giggled.

"I've been told that before," he said laughing as he pulled me to my feet. "Come on, we need to get you home."

* * *

 _Does anyone even read this lmao_

 _Hurray for the longest chapter yet hopefully that makes up for my poor action writing skills yay!_

 _Much love!_


	6. Chapter 6 - The Hangover (not that one)

I woke up the next morning to my cellphone ringing loudly. I moaned and absentmindedly reached for it, not bothering to check caller ID.

"Hello?" I mumbled.

"Hey, Emily?"

I rubbed my eyes blearily, surprised at the identity of the person calling me. "Peter?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I woke you, I thought you would be at the Bugle by now." I glanced at my clock and saw that it read 7:12 am.

"Shit! I'm late! Thank you so much for calling me, I would have been screwed without you," I said jumping out of bed. I obviously did this too fast, as it caused my head to throb and the world to spin. I clutched my head and groaned.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly. I laughed.

"Besides dying from a hangover I'm totally ok," I responded, starting to get dressed.

"You go drinking last night?" Peter asked and I could swear I could _hear_ the smile in his voice. I nodded even though he couldn't see it.

"You know how it is," I said rummaging through clothes, the phone secured between my cheek and shoulder. "You see your first superhero battle in person, kinda makes you think about your life choices and moving to New York. Dammit I should have asked him for an interview!" He snorted in amusement.

"Well I just called to check up on you since you seemed a bit rattled yesterday. I'm glad you got home ok," he said.

"Yeah me too-" I froze in my tracks. How _did_ I get home? I remembered being with Betty and Amber and leaving the bar, but then it got fuzzy.

"Emily? You ok?" I heard Peter ask.

"I don't remember getting home last night?" I said as if I was asking him how I got back. Peter chuckled and all of a sudden I got a flash of a memory.

 _"You do have a cute laugh though but not as cute as his."_

In confusion I glanced again at my clock and noticed for the first time two pills, a glass of water and a note reading:

"Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!"

"Oh holy _fuck_!" I shouted. Peter yelped.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked urgently. I moaned in embarrassment.

"I think Spider-Man walked me home last night," I yelled. He laughed again.

"You think Spider-Man walked you home?" He said still chuckling.

"I shit you not," I said putting him on speaker so I could put on make up. "I just found medicine and a note he left that just said 'Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man,' I mean, do I have to make a fool of myself in front of him every time I see him?" I asked desperately.

"It seems like Spider-Man just happened to be around and recognized you from that morning," Peter said. "I doubt he judged you for being drunk. Why didn't you call a cab, though? It's dangerous to walk home at night, especially tipsy." I shrugged.

"The bar I went to was close to my apartment so I didn't want to take a cab," I said. "Oh my god I keep remembering everything now, I want to die."

"What else happened when he walked you home?" Peter asked. I groaned.

"I think at one point I tried to push him over?" Peter burst out laughing. "Stop laughing at me!"

"You know he has super strength right?" He managed to say between laughs.

"That's what he said too," I replied. "But apparently that didn't stop me from trying. Good god why am I like this."

"Maybe he thought it was endearing," Peter said still chuckling. "Sounds like it was to me."

"You think so?" I asked hopefully, not as embarrassed.

"Yeah, I do."

I smiled, face flushing a bit.

"Thanks, Pete," I mumbled gratefully.

There was a pause before he said "Pete?"

"Oh! Yeah sorry, it just slipped out," I started.

"No, it's fine. I just haven't been called that in a while. It's nice." I smiled again, my face turning such a deep red it would make a tomato jealous.

"Well I'm glad!" I stuttered out. "I have to go, Jameson's gonna kill me if I don't show up soon. Thanks again for calling."

"No problem, Emily. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah definitely. Bye Pete."

"Bye."

* * *

When I finally arrived at the Bugle, I tried my best to quickly rush to my desk to avoid Jameson, hoping I could claim that I was there all morning. But luck wasn't on my side.

"ANDERSON, GET IN HERE!"

I cursed softly and dropped my bags off before knocking on his office door. I opened it, saying "You wanted to see me, Mr. Jameson?"

"Where have you been all morning?!" He yelled. "Sit down!" I quickly sat in the chair facing his desk. "Talk!"

"I'm so sorry sir," I began, trying to fabricate a story that wasn't 'I got too drunk and didn't set an alarm so I didn't wake up on time.' "The power went off in my apartment complex last night so my clock reset and didn't wake me." That seemed like a reasonable excuse. Jameson grumbled, lighting a cigar.

"Don't let it happen again!" He ordered gruffly.

"Yes, sir!"

"Good, now get out."

I left the office gratefully, stopping when I heard my name.

"Morning, Em!" I turned and saw Betty waving at me. "Good lord, you alright?" She asked, noticing my hungover appearance. I unceremoniously dropped into the chair by her desk, holding my head in my hands.

"I'm never drinking again," I groaned in response. Betty laughed.

"My goodness, why? We had so much fun!" She said.

"I embarrassed myself in front of Spider-Man again," my voice muddled by my hands. I had told her all about what had happened the morning before so she knew I had encountered the superhero previously. Betty ripped my hands from my face.

"What? What happened? Tell me everything!"

I gave her a quick rundown of what I remembered, including Peter's phone call this morning and Spider-Man's note. Betty 'awwwed' at that.

"How sweet, he left medicine and a note? What I wouldn't give to be saved by him, what a doll!" She said, fanning herself.

"I've had enough saving for a lifetime," I grumbled. "Especially since I seem to make an ass of myself every time." Betty waved a hand at me.

"I'm sure he thought it was adorable, you are such a cutie," she said. I laughed.

"Heh, thanks. That's what Pete said too."

"Pete? You giving each other nicknames now? And he called you cute?" Betty batted her eyelashes at me.

"No, no, no," I denied quickly, face flushing. "He said he thought Spider-Man would think I was 'endearing' was the word he used. And yeah, I called him Pete, what of it?"

"Well, whenever I've called him Pete, he always corrects me," Betty said with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh."

She clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Peter likes you, he likes you!-" I slapped a hand to her mouth.

"He does not, stop saying that so loud!" I hissed. "I have to work here, you know! Besides, I barely know the guy." Betty tried to respond but her voice was cut off by my hand. "Are you going to be quiet?" I asked and she nodded quickly. I removed my hand from her mouth and she sputtered a bit.

"Ugh, I hate when people do that," she grumbled at me.

"Yeah, I bet it happens often, huh?" I quipped back at her. She flipped me off.

"But yeah," she continued. "Just because you haven't hung out a lot doesn't mean he doesn't like you. I mean, he called you this morning just to make sure you were ok and he let you call him Pete?" She shrugged, giving me a wink. "Sounds like an open and shut case to me! Do you like him?"

I hesitated a second too long, blushing like crazy before I said, "No of course not. He's my colleague that would be unprofessional."

"You are so full of-"

"Hey Betty, Emily." I spun in my chair to see Peter Parker walking toward us.

"'Speak of the devil and he shall appear,'" Betty whispered to me. I punched her arm. "Ow!"

"What are you doing here Peter?" I asked with an innocent smile. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm, uh, here to talk to you actually Emily," he said nervously. Betty squealed for a second before covering it with a deep cough. "You ok, Betty?"

"Just peachy!" She said. I rolled my eyes at her, standing.

"Come on, Pete, we can go to my desk," I said leading him away. I turned briefly to wave at Betty when I saw her giving me two thumbs up and wiggling her eyebrows. My wave turned into the middle finger.

We arrived at my desk and I cleared off the chair opposite me so Peter could sit down.

"Here you go, sorry my desk is a bit of a mess, I've been researching like crazy-"

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about actually," Peter interrupted. I tried to not let my disappointment show.

"Oh, okay is everything alright?" I asked with a smile. Peter cleared his throat anxiously.

"I can't work with you anymore."

My heart sank. Besides Betty and Amber, Peter was my only friend in New York. And I may or may not have been starting to acquire feelings for him. Now I would barely see him.

"Is there a reason why?" I asked finally.

"Its personal."

"I thought we were getting along," I said, confused. "I thought we were friends. You even called me this morning." He looked everywhere but at me.

"I'm sorry," was the only thing he offered me. I blinked repeatedly, trying to register what was happening.

"Alright," I said quietly. "I'll finish the article by myself. But you need to leave now." I turned to my computer, pretending to type. I didn't spare him a second glance as he stood and left, only peeking once when he got to the elevator. We made eye contact as the doors slowly closed.

* * *

 _I'm on a roll! I hate to split them up just when they are becoming friends but I feel like with everything that happened with Gwen (_? _) he would try to push anyone away if they got too close._

 _Much love!_


	7. Chapter 7 - Self-Defense Class Pays Off

Two days later, I was in the same street where Spider-Man and the Rhino had fought. I had come to interview a store manager who owned the store Spider-Man had crashed into and had seen the whole ordeal take place.

The interview was nothing extraordinary, just the basic questions and answers. I recorded his responses just in case they came in handy but I didn't see them being useful. I gave the man my thanks and walked out of his store, preparing to go home. It was already dark so there was no point going back to the Bugle.

It wasn't long before I sensed someone watching me.

I looked around subtly, searching for the pair of eyes I felt on me and found nothing. I shrugged to myself then continued walking.

After a few blocks, I heard two men yelling after me.

"Hey, pretty lady!" One called.

"What are you doing by yourself this time of night?" The other yelled. I ignored them and increased my pace, getting closer to my apartment. "Don't ignore us girlie!"

Suddenly, I felt two pairs of hands grab me and pull me into a nearby alley way.

"Hey! Let me go assholes!" I screamed, trying to kick them. One grabbed my throat and pushed me against the brick wall. I gasped out, unable to breathe. Remembering my self defense classes, I lifted my leg up and kicked it backwards hoping to hit his groin. The moan in response and sudden ability to breathe let me know I had succeeded. Quickly, I turned, elbowing the second man in the face before turning to the one who choked me and punching him. Both lay on the ground groaning and I kicked them a few times.

"Don't-fuck-with-me!" I said with every kick.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and threw an elbow backward, thinking they had more friends that had come to help. But my elbow was blocked.

"Whoa! Hey!" The person said. I turned, fist raised, when I saw Spider-Man looking down at me. My arm immediately dropped.

"Spider-Man!" I breathed out.

"At your service!" He said with a salute, then leaning against the wall. "Well, I was going to help but you definitely didn't need it. Thanks for that, it was nice to have a break." I brushed the loose hair from my face in an attempt to make myself somewhat presentable.

"Thanks anyway," I said, leaning against the wall with him. "And thanks for the other night too. I'm very embarrassed that I let myself get that drunk." Spider-Man laughed and pushed himself off the brick, going to web the two muggers together.

"It's alright, Emily," he said. "Everyone needs to let loose once in a while." He grabbed a piece of paper from his waistband. "You have a pen?" I nodded and grabbed a pen from my bag, offering it to him. "Thanks!" He began writing a note to stick on them.

"How do you know my name?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, for one, it's on your press badge," he said, using the pen to point. "And second, you told me the other night."

"Oh."

"Yup," he said, letting his mouth pop with the "p." Spider-Man finished his note, carefully webbing it to the criminals before reaching into their pockets.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.

"Calm down, lady, I'm just using their phone to call 911 so they can be picked up," Spider-Man said, dialing the cell.

"That's smart," I said impressed.

"Well thanks!" He said, sticking the phone calling 911 to the men. "I've been at this for a good few years so I've had practice."

"Yeah it looks like it," I said, leaning over the tied up men, reading the note.

 _Bad guys - tried to rob someone, kindly take to jail!_

 _-Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man_

"You always leave a note?" I asked. He nodded. "Cool." We stared at each other for a moment before I spoke up. "Hey, Spider-Man?"

"Yes?"

"I want to apologize." He turned his head to the side in confusion.

"What for?" He asked.

"Well, I'm a reporter, as you saw from my press badge," I began, holding up my badge. "And I've written less than kind things about you in the past. I want to apologize. I was wrong about you." He didn't speak for a while.

"I really appreciate that," Spider-Man said finally. "I know that from the outside it may be hard to see that I just want the best for my city. I forgive you."

"Thank you," I said with a warm smile. "Well, I guess I'll get going, thanks again."

"Wait!" Spider-Man said. I turned expectantly. "Uhhh, you want a lift?" He asked.

"Like, with your webs?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks but no thanks, Spidey," I said. "I'm scared of heights." He chuckled.

"I would never drop you," he said, stepping a bit closer. I smiled.

"I don't doubt that," I said. "But heights still scare the shit out of me. Maybe some other time."

"Suit yourself, I'll just walk yo-" he cut himself off, head tilted toward the street where I could barely hear the sound of sirens in the distance. He turned back to me, obviously conflicted.

"I'm a big girl, Spider-Man," I said. "You know I can take care of myself. Go be a hero."

"Thanks, Em," he said softly. I gave him a quick hug and kiss on his masked cheek, trying to convey my own gratitude before letting him go. Spider-Man stepped back, stumbling a bit, (which made me let out an embarrassingly girlish giggle), before swinging away with a _thwip_ of his web.

* * *

When I arrived back at my apartment, I sat down on my couch, Pumpkin on my lap, and pulled out my phone to text Betty.

 _Me: Betty, I almost got mugged_

I had a response within the minute.

 _B: omfg hun are you ok?_

 _Me: define ok_? _I'm shaken up but otherwise I'm fine. My mom's defense classes came in handy_

 _B: oh thank god_

 _Me: And I saw Spider-Man again_

 _B: ! What?! Girl how does this keep happening to you, I've lived here for all my life and I've only seen him a handful of times!_?

 _Me: I don't know man! He was going to help me but I kicked their asses before he could_

 _B: What did he say?_

 _Me: I mean pretty much that tbh. He asked for a pen. lol I never got it back_?

 _B: Spider-Man stole your pen?_

 _Me: well there were sirens so he got distracted and forgot to give it back to me...and there's something else_

 _B: ffs what_

 _Me: I kinda kissed him_

 _B:_? ﾟﾘﾲ? ﾟﾘﾲ _excuse you?_

 _B: was it him hanging upside down and you pull his mask down so you can romantically kiss him in the rain_

 _Me: ...that's oddly specific_

 _B: don't tell me that wouldn't be romantic af_

 _Me: well it would be, but it was just a kiss on the cheek_

 _B: well damn woman. You move fast from Peter_

 _Me: can we not talk about Peter. It was just a stupid crush_

 _B: sure it was_?

 _Me: yeah yeah yeah ok. I really liked the guy but it doesn't matter, I barely knew him and he obviously doesn't even want to be friends so no biggie. I'm better off I guess_

 _B: damn straight hun_

 _B: I gotta go, Amber wants sexy times, I'm super glad you're ok!_

 _Me: thanks for that image. Night_?￢ﾝﾤ️

I put my phone down on the cushion next to me and sunk into the couch.

"Pumpkin, this month has been really strange," I said. He meowed understandingly. "Thanks baby."

A few hours later, I woke up to a clunk on my window. Pumpkin jumped off my lap and ran into the bedroom. Cautiously, I stood, rubbing my sore neck and going to the window. To my surprise, there was a web with a pen and a rolled up note attached. Grinning, I ran to the kitchen, grabbing a knife before heading back to cut off the items.

All the note said was "Thanks" and a hastily drawn spider.

Yeah, definitely a strange month.

* * *

 _Much love!_


	8. Chapter 8 - The Warehouse

The next morning, I got my first new piece of information about the Rhino since the fight three days prior.

I was getting ready for work, listening to the news when I heard the anchorwoman say "Reports say the villain known only as 'the Rhino' was seen heading east toward the beaches." I walked out of my bathroom to see the news clip, still brushing my teeth.

"Yeah, I was just walking my dog and he went right past me!" A man being interviewed exclaimed. "He went that way, toward the beach, I don't know why." The tv switched back to the news reporter.

"The police have not given us any information about this lead, only that they are looking into it. Coming up, a new study shows that an all oatmeal diet can prevent cancer, what you need to know, next."

I switched off the tv before finishing brushing my teeth and leaving my apartment. As I made the trek to the Bugle I thought about what I had heard about the Rhino.

It didn't make sense for him to be going to the beach, that's for sure. So what's around there that he could be going to?

I pulled out my phone once I was on the subway to check the vicinity of where the man had seen him. There's a restaurant in that area, according to Google maps. There's also some docks, an aquarium, things like that. But surely that's not what the Rhino was going for. Zooming out slightly, I saw something more promising. There was an industrial yard decently close to the sighting, but it the wrong direction. It was possible that the Rhino went that way to create a false lead. That would line up with how he made an obvious path straight through New York. But does it's also well known that the Rhino isn't the brightest of villains. Is he clever enough to come up with that plan by himself? Or does he work for someone worse? I decided to do the responsible thing.

Go search the industrial yard myself.

I texted Betty to ask her to let Jameson know I was working on the Rhino article and wouldn't be coming in this morning. I also told her where I was going in case something bad did happen.

I might be reckless but I'm not stupid.

As I neared the industrial yard, I pulled out my phone, starting to video what I was seeing. Weaving in and out of abandoned buildings, and coming up with nothing, I began to fear that this search was pointless. I stopped recording.

"This is stupid," I grumbled, kicking a few rocks. "God I _am_ stupid."

I was about to cut my losses and leave when I saw a building I had not yet searched. My curiosity peaked. _I'm already here,_ I thought to myself. _May as well be thorough._

To my surprise, when I neared this warehouse, I began to hear raised voices yelling at each other. I looked around the perimeter; hoping for a way to look inside without catching the attention of the men. Finally, I saw a bunch of boxes placed in a way that could easily help me to the roof. As quickly as I could while still being somewhat safe, I climbed the large totes and lifted myself to the roof. Thankfully the building wasn't too tall, so my fear of heights wasn't triggered too much, even though I was still very uncomfortable. On the roof there was a skylight that was partly broken allowing me to not only see inside but also hear men yelling. When I peeked through the broken window I saw the Rhino fully decked out in his armor and two other men who were surrounded by stereotypical henchmen. I started recording.

"Rhino, we've waited long enough," one man said gruffly. "Where is he?"

"I told you, it's taking a while to find him," Rhino replied angrily. "He has people around him at all times." The second man scoffed.

"You're just too stupid to find him," he said. The man turned to his partner. "I told you we should have gotten Vulture instead, this guy is useless." Rhino stomped his mechanical foot.

"I can do it, I just need a few more days!" He roared. "I'll kill everyone around him if I have to! Just have my money ready."

"You better get him," the first man said. "If we don't have Jameson within a week, we are cutting you out and getting someone better." I gaped. _They're after Jameson?_

I leaned forward, trying to record the mystery men's faces, but the pressure of me leaning against the pane made it break and crash down into the warehouse. Everyone simultaneously stopped talking and looked up to see the cause of the falling wood. I froze in fear when I made direct eye contact with the Rhino.

I scrambled to my feet, running to the edge of the roof, getting ready to jump and run for my life. Mid-jump, I felt a body crash into me and hold onto my waist. I yelped in shock, grabbing on to the person's neck, closing my eyes and preparing myself for the impact of the ground, but it never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw the ground flying by below me. I let out a loud scream.

"Hey, you're ok, Em, I got you!" The person I was crushing with my arms called. I looked up and saw Spider-Man, who was swinging through the short buildings and into the taller buildings closer toward the city. I gripped onto his neck for dear life, once again shutting my eyes and praying to be on the ground once again.

After a few mind numbing, terrifying minutes, we slowed down and my feet hit solid floor. My eyes flew open and I saw that I was on the top of my apartment building. I hadn't been up there before, but I could tell from the neighboring buildings where I was. I gasped for breath, still clutching Spider-Man. Nausea crept its way up my throat.

"You're ok, you're ok," Spider-Man kept repeating. "See? I didn't drop you." I nodded, unable to speak. Before I could stop it, the urge to vomit became too much and I let go of him, sprinting to a trash can that happened to be by the roof door. I emptied the contents of my stomach into the trash. Vaguely, I felt a hand rubbing my back and another pulling my hair back.

"Man, you weren't kidding when you said you were scared of heights," Spider-Man said. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and sat on the ground. "You ok?"

"That's twice you've saved my life now," I said. "I'm going to have to start keeping a list." He chuckled.

"Three times if you count you tripping while you were drunk."

"Oh god. I forgot about that." I buried my head in my arms in embarrassment. I felt him pat my shoulder. Suddenly I remembered something. "Wait, they are after my boss! I have to warn him!" I made a move to stand but Spider-Man stopped me.

"Don't worry, I heard the whole thing. I'm going to make a call to the police to let them know to put Jameson in protective care," Spider-Man said. "I'll catch you later." He got to the edge of the roof before I called after him.

"Hey!" I shouted. He turned. "Thanks again."

Spider-Man saluted, shouting "Be careful!" before shooting a web off the building and swinging away.

* * *

Once I got back into my apartment, I made sure to text Betty and let her know I was ok. I took a deep breath and plopped myself on my sofa. I turned on the tv started mindlessly flipping through channels, trying to distract myself from my anxiety and fear.

This morning had been far too close for comfort. Rhino had _seen_ me. Who knows if he will be able to find where I live, where I work, who my friends are. Did my stupidity put everyone I know in danger?

I grumbled and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Now I know why Spider-Man wears a mask," I moaned to myself.

Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on my door. I jumped. _Oh god he found me already,_ I thought. _I'm dead. I'm so fucking dead. I wish I had Spider-Man's phone number._

I edged my way to the door slowly, grabbing an umbrella I had nearby and holding it above my head. I peeked through the peephole and saw the last person I expected.

Peter Parker.

I blinked a few times before unlocking the door and opening it, stilling holding the umbrella over my head. Peter looked sweaty and out of breath, like usual.

"Peter?" I asked, still surprised. "What are you doing here?" He ignored me and stepped into my apartment and into my living room. "Oh yes, please come in," I mumbled to myself sarcastically.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He spat out at me once I closed the door. I tilted my head in confusion at the sudden outburst.

"Ummm, is this about the umbrella? I was just trying to be careful, you were banging on the door so loudly-"

"Oh NOW you want to be careful!" Peter shouted. "When it comes to sneaking around trying to spy on a super villain, you couldn't have a care in the world but if someone knocks on your door too loud, you are ready for a fight!"

I flushed in embarrassment and anger.

"First off, I don't think it's any of your business considering you dropped out of researching the article with me! Second, how the _hell_ did you even know what I was doing this morning?!"

He faltered at this.

"Uh, well, uh," he sputtered. "Spider-Man. . .called me and told me." I raised an eyebrow.

"You have Spider-Man's phone number?" I asked skeptically.

"Yeah, totally, how do you think I get such good pictures?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway, that's not the point!" I rolled my eyes and pushed by him, going to sit on my couch. Peter followed, sitting as far away as possible.

"Then please Peter. Do elaborate. What's your point?" I asked angrily. He ran his fingers through his already severely messed up hair.

"Do you know how _frustrating_ it is to keep you safe when you are hellbent on putting yourself in these dangerous situations?!" He yelled at me.

"Why the hell do you think it's YOUR job to protect me, buddy?" I growled, pointing my finger in his face. "Because it's NOT. We aren't even _friends,_ what gives you the right to think you need to protect me? I can take care of myself!" He laughed coldly.

"I see, so that's why Spider-Man had to save you just now!"

"I would've been fine!" Peter grabbed my shoulders.

"No, you would have been _dead_!" He shouted. "Don't you get that?"

"Why do you even care?" I spat in his face.

"Because I like you!" I flushed immediately. "I-I mean not like that. I mean as a person. I like you. And I can't let that happen. People I'm close to end up getting hurt," he said after pausing for a moment. His eyes became glassy. _I know about Gwen, but it seems like she wasn't the only one,_ I thought to myself. _What happened to him?_ "I don't want that happening to you too. That's why I distanced myself from you. I'm bad luck." Peter bent his head. Sighing in exasperation, I scooted closer and put a hand on his shoulder. His head flew up to look at me.

"You aren't bad luck, Peter," I murmured. "You've just _had_ shitty luck. There's a difference." One corner of his mouth upturned.

"Thanks, Em," he said, reaching up to grab my hand from his shoulder. He squeezed it for a moment before letting go. "Sorry for yelling. I was just worried."

"You're forgiven," I said. "But you don't need to protect me, alright? I decide who I want to be friends with. And you're an ok dude when you aren't yelling or late for something." I winked at him and he chuckled. I stood, going to the kitchen. "You want anything to drink, Pete?"

"Just water is fine," he responded. I filled a glass and handed it to him before sitting again.

"Sorry for the lack of a surface to put it on," I said. "I ordered a coffee table but it hasn't come yet."

"No problem. I'm a strong man, I can hold it," Peter said. I laughed.

"Sooo. . .Spider-Man called you?" I asked, twisting my fingers together. "What did he say?" Peter took a large gulp of water before answering.

"He said, um, that he was searching for the Rhino. And that when he was there he said he saw you. Then that he took you here but that you were really scared of heights so you were upset and he wanted to make sure you were ok." I blushed, my heart fluttering.

"He's really sweet," I said softly. Peter smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Sounds like you have a crush," he said.

"Heh, you sound like Betty," I chuckled. "There's a distinct possibility I might have a small, teeny tiny crush on Spider-Man."

"Because he's a superhero?" Peter asked somewhat bitterly. I stared at him.

"No!" I responded sharply. "He's more than just a superhero. He saved me from the Rhino twice, he walked me home when I was drunk when he didn't have to, he left me medicine and water the next morning, he returned my stupid pen when he didn't have to. He fucking held back my hair while I puked. I mean," I stared off into the distance twisting slightly at hair like a schoolgirl. "Spider-Man is definitely a hero, which is something I once thought was a bad thing. But he's holding this city together, you know? And he's funny, and sweet and confident. Not to mention he's got a great ass. He's. . .amazing." When I looked up at Peter, his face was bright red. I laughed. "You okay, Pete?" He nodded slightly.

"Yeah, definitely," he said. "Can you just promise me something? As a friend?" I smiled gently.

"Depends on what the promise is."

"Please try and be more careful?"

"You sound like Spider-Man," I commented. He didn't laugh. He grabbed my hand and met my eyes desperately.

"Emily. Please." I sighed.

"You got it, Pete."

* * *

 _This plot line is actually from the comics is that copying I mean ooops? I guess?  
_

 _Much love!_


	9. Chapter 9 - Getting to Know You

Peter left a few hours later to my disappointment. I hoped that he wouldn't disappear again once he left. To my happiness, that night I got a text from him.

 _Night, Em._

I smiled widely to myself before responding.

 _Goodnight Pete_

It was hard for me to fall asleep that night. My feelings were all consuming.

I was scared shitless that the Rhino would find out who I am. Who knows what he would do if he did. Would he kill me? Would he kill Betty and Amber? Would he kill Peter?

Peter Parker. He was the most confusing man I had ever met. I liked him a lot, although I wasn't sure in what way. He _had_ dropped off the face of the earth because he didn't want to be friends. Well, no, that wasn't necessarily true. He wanted to "protect me." Which honestly sounded like bullshit, but I don't know. He sounded so sincere. I felt a connection with him. Just like the one I felt with Spider-Man.

I knew at this point I had a huge crush on Spider-Man. Way beyond the healthy admiration a normal person would have for the superhero. I felt like I knew him partly because I had talked to him four times now. But there was also something else. Something that made me feel comfortable and safe around him. I hoped that I would see him again. Perhaps when I didn't need rescuing and I wasn't drunk off my ass.

I tossed and turned, my mind whirling in a never ending cycle of mindless babble. I finally fell asleep around 2 am.

* * *

The next morning I woke up absolutely exhausted. Luckily it was my day off so I didn't have to be at the Bugle and I could nap all day if I wanted.

Pumpkin, however, had other ideas.

He meowed in my face, ran across the bed, through the apartment and back to my face. Multiple times. There was no way I was going back to sleep now.

I grumbled and sat up, making eye contact with my orange devil creature.

"Pumpkin!" I shouted. "Leave your momma be!" His ears flew back and his tail flicked angrily.

"MEOOOW!" Pumpkin screamed back at me.

"Kitty! Enough!"

"MEEEEEEOOOW."

"KITTY."

"MEOW!"

I groaned loudly and rubbed my face. Before long, I felt a scratchy tongue licking my hand. I looked up and saw Pumpkin gazing at me adoringly. I huffed and petted him.

"You're lucky you're cute," I grumbled.

He purred in response.

After cuddling with my cat for a few minutes, I finally emerged from my bed. I decided that I needed coffee and a movie.

As I sat down, I turned on one of my favorite movies _The Princess Bride._ I smiled contentedly as it began.

Halfway through the film, I picked up my phone and spontaneously texted Peter. I wasn't about to let him back out of our tentative friendship.

 _Morning Pete! How are you? :)_

It was only a few minutes before he responded to my surprise.

 _P: Hey! I'm doing great :) What are you up to?_

 _Me: I'm watching one of my favorite movies with coffee and my cat. How about yourself?_

 _P: what movie? I didn't know you had a cat, I didn't see him the last few times I was there_

I didn't miss how he 1) avoided saying what he was doing and 2) how he said he has been here more than once. That was probably just a typo though. I suppose.

 _Me: you've only been here once?_

 _P: right, of course sorry. Cats are cool. What movie are you watching?_

 _Me: The Princess Bride_

 _P: oh awesome. I've never seen it all the way through._

I audibly gasped. Before I knew what I was doing, I was calling him. He answered, laughing slightly.

"Uh oh, am I in trouble?" He chuckled.

"You haven't seen _The Princess Bride?_ How have you lived?!" I demanded.

"Ok, to be fair, I've seen parts," he said quickly. "My aunt tried to get me to watch it but I always lost interest-"

"Lost interest?! What _are_ you?!" I shouted. "This is unacceptable you need to come over now so you can watch it!" _Emily, what are you doing?_

"Right now?" He asked surprised.

"Yes, this is life or death!" I insisted. I heard the whistle of wind from his side of the call.

"Alright, be there soon," he said before hanging up.

I dropped the phone on the couch. Finally the weight of what I had just done registered in my head.

 _Oh shit I invited Peter Parker to my apartment!_

I stood quickly, deposing of a few pieces of trash that I had left laying around this morning. _This is fine,_ I consoled myself frantically. _He's just my friend I may or may not have a romantic feelings for and we are going to casually watch a movie no biggie._

I had barely gotten the last piece of trash thrown away before I heard a knock on my door. I opened it, revealing Peter.

"How did you get here so fast?" I asked him curiously. He shrugged.

"I was in the neighborhood," he said. He looked me up and down before smirking. "Nice PJs," he snickered. I flushed before gazing down at myself and noticing my pajama pants which were covered in little cats wearing space suits.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up it's my day off," I muttered, pulling him into my apartment. I sat him down in front of the tv, which still had the movie paused.

"We can watch from here," Peter said quickly. "I would feel bad that you would have to start the movie from the beginning." I turned to him, both eyebrows raised, unimpressed. "O-or not, you know that's totally fine, sounds great."

I grinned and restarted the movie.

* * *

If Peter didn't like the movie, he did a great job of not showing it. He laughed almost all the way through, especially at the game of wits and the wedding. I found myself having a lot of fun with him, and I was glad that I had invited him over.

When the film finished, he turned to me.

"I regret not finishing it with Aunt May," he said smiling. "That was great!" I clapped happily.

"I'm so glad you liked it!" I exclaimed. "You and Aunt May have great taste!" He laughed.

"Got that right!" Peter appeared to think for a moment before saying "Well now I think it's only fair I return the favor! Let's find a movie you haven't seen." I scoffed.

"Good luck, buddy," I said. "I've seen a lot."

We jumped on Netflix, searching for over half an hour.

"For god's sake, Emily!" Peter finally shouted. "How is this even humanly _possible_ for one person to have seen so many movies?!"

"I enjoy my movies Pete, don't judge me!" I responded defensively. Before he could give a sassy retort, Pumpkin emerged from my bedroom sleepily. "Baby!" I called. Peter started, facing me and not seeing my cat.

"Baby, huh? I don't know about that, we barely know each other," Peter said nervously. I rolled my eyes and put my hand on his face and pushed it toward the bedroom door. "Ohhhhh you were talking to your cat that makes sense." He blushed to my extreme amusement.

"Oh _Peter_ ," I said, delighted. "You are _adorable!_ Is this all blushing because you thought I called you baby?" I touched his cheek again and felt the heat of his embarrassment. He swatted my hand away.

"Hey! Leave me alone!" Peter chuckled. "I could tell you all the times you've blushed too!" I felt my face warm. "AHA! There's another one!" I hid my face in my hands.

"Nope, I don't know what you're talking about!" I sang. "I never blush, that's ridiculous, how dare you imply such a thing! I will have you arrested for slander!" I heard him laugh.

"It's not slander if it's true!" He pulled my hands away from my face. "Ooooh you're even more red now!"

"Shut up!" I exclaimed. Quickly, I grabbed his glasses off his face and put them on. "Try and see me NOW!" He smiled.

"I can still see you," he said. "You look adorable with glasses." I knew at this point my face would probably be the reddest it's been since I've known him. Slowly, I took the glasses off and put them back on his face.

"Well that backfired," I murmured. Peter laughed hard and I joined him. "Hey, can I ask something?" I said. He looked nervous.

"Yeah of course Em," he said.

"Why do you wear glasses with no prescription?" I asked. I had noticed while wearing his glasses that my vision wasn't distorted like it would be with normal glasses. I had tried on my mom's pair before and her's always made everything look blurry. Peter's however, did not. So unless his prescription is so minute that it's unnoticeable to me, he has clear lenses. He blinked, as if this was the last question he expected.

"Oh! Well they were my dad's," he started. "He and my mom ran off when I was little and left me with my aunt and uncle. They died in a plane crash. These glasses are all I have left of Dad, besides an old briefcase. I guess they make me feel close to him." I nodded.

"I'm sorry about your parents," I whispered. He shrugged, rubbing a hand behind his neck, a motion that suddenly felt very familiar. But I couldn't place it no matter how much I tried.

"It's alright, I've had time to heal," he said, avoiding my eyes. I hummed in response, not believing him.

"Well, they look good on you," I said, trying to lighten the mood. He smiled gently at me.

"Thanks."

We sat just enjoying each other's company for a few moments. The silence was relaxing and comforting. But I kept having a nagging feeling that I couldn't shake. I felt like I've known Peter longer than I actually have. Is that normal? Maybe.

Eventually we decided to just turn on a random movie which happened to be Batman. We sat closer to each other than we had been before. Soon, I heard him yawning beside me. It wasn't long after that that his head dropped on his chest and he started leaning toward me. I could tell he was about to fall on the couch which would definitely wake him up so I scooted closer quickly so his head landed gently on my shoulder instead. All the reaction Peter gave was a small sigh before he was completely out.

I smiled at the bespectacled man, giving the top of his head a kiss. I removed his glasses slowly as not to wake him, placing them carefully to my left.

I continued watching the movie with his head on my shoulder. My own eyelids became heavy due to the lack of sleep the night before, and I leaned my own head on Peter's. Soon I was asleep as well.

* * *

"Em."

"Hmmm?"

"Em, wake up."

"Go away."

"Damn, well I was trying to say goodbye, but I guess I won't be able to do that."

I reluctantly opened one eye to see Peter kneeling in front of me. I was now laying down on the couch. I blinked wearily.

"What time is it?" I groaned. Peter took his phone out of his pocket.

"It's 4:30," he said. "I gotta go, I promised Aunt May I would get dinner with her tonight." I nodded, though barely comprehending the conversation.

"Okay, tell May I said hi," I said sleepily. He chuckled.

"You got it, Em," he said. I patted his cheek.

"Thanks Pete," I mumbled closing my eyes again. Before sleep took me again, I could have sworn I felt a kiss on my temple.

* * *

When I awoke again, it was already beginning to get dark. I groaned and picked up my phone to check the time. When the phone lit up it was so bright that I let out a yelp and accidentally rolled off the couch. Pumpkin immediately ran over and sniffed my head.

"God dammit!" I grumbled, carefully standing. This time I squinted my eyes before checking my phone. It was 8:34. Jeez, I had been asleep for a long time. Hopefully I would be able to fall asleep tonight.

I slowly walked to the fridge to search for food. Unfortunately, there was nothing really great to eat for dinner. I whined and head butted the fridge door closed. _I guess I'm eating out tonight._

There was a sandwich shop down the street that I had been wanting to try and I figured now was as good a time as any. I shrugged on a hoodie and exchanged my cat pajama pants for jeans and left my apartment.

While I was walking, I felt someone watching me, just like I had right before I almost got mugged. I froze and glanced around. There were still a few people milling around but no one who was blatantly looking at me. I relaxed a bit and turned back around to continue forward, but there was someone right in front of the entrance to the alley next to me.

"Jesus _Christ!_ " I screamed, clutching at my chest. "For fuck's sake, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days!" Spider-Man laughed.

"Sorry Emily," he apologized but his body language still screamed amusement. "I just happened to be swinging by and saw you, wanted to see if you were all better from your near death experience." I tilted my head, confused that he once again used a fake sounding deep voice.

"Is that your real voice?" I asked, ignoring his earlier comment about my health. He rubbed the back of his head.

"N-no, I have a cold," he said and immediately gave an obviously fake cough into his arm. "See?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, that was very convincing," I said in a flat voice. I went and stood next to him in the alley.

"Well, anyway," he continued quickly, still speaking deeply. "How are you?" I shrugged.

"I'm pretty good actually," I said. "I slept for most of the day, but I did watch a movie with Peter so that was fun."

"Peter with the cuter laugh than me?" Spider-Man asked. I chuckled nervously.

"Yup, that's the one," I confirmed. "Now I'm on my way to get some dinner. Have you eaten yet? You want anything?"

"You want to buy me dinner? Are you asking me on a date?" He asked cheekily. My face immediately burned.

"I was _trying_ to be nice considering you've saved my life so many times but whatever," I said casually, trying to disguise my blush. He chuckled.

"I'm just messing around, I know," Spider-Man said. "That's really nice of you to offer but I actually just had dinner. But seriously, thank you." I nodded.

"No problem," I said giving him a small smile. I wasn't surprised at twinge the disappointment I felt at losing an opportunity to hang out with the masked man more. I felt the same way around him that I felt around Peter.

Peter.

I groaned audibly in frustration. I had romantic feelings for two men, one of which risked his life on a daily basis for the people of New York and the other had major problems letting people in.

"You alright?" Spider-Man asked gently. I shook my head.

"I'm just dealing with a lot of confusing and conflicting emotions lately," I said truthfully.

"Is there anyway I can help?" He offered. I smiled sadly at him. Suddenly, I felt very bold. If I couldn't solve my feelings on my own, maybe he _can_ help me somehow. Besides, it's not like I haven't been wanting to do this since the first moment I met him. As long as he lets me.

"You can't help everyone, you know," I said, inching a bit closer.

"I can try," he muttered, voice barely audible. I nodded, still moving closer. He was now up against the wall. "What are you doing?" He murmured. His voice no longer had the deep, fake quality it had before, as if I had distracted him to the point that he forgot to use it. I put my hands on the sides of his face and found the edges of his mask. Spider-Man's hands grabbed my waist.

"Trying to sort out my emotions," I responded huskily. I began lifting his mask slowly, giving him plenty of time to stop me. He didn't. Not wanting to completely unmask him, I only lifted it to the bridge of his nose so his mouth was revealed. He licked his thin lips and swallowed nervously. I began leaning in, eyes fluttering closed. Our lips were inches apart.

"Wait," he whispered. I immediately stopped and backed up. I looked down at the ground, unable to look him in the eyes, or rather, his mask. I heard him pull it back down. "I'm sorry, it's not you-"

"Don't be sorry," I said quickly. "I was out of line." Spider-Man gave a frustrated sigh. I looked up and he was pacing back and forth.

"You have no idea how much I want to," he said, still walking. "But I can't. I just can't."

"Look," I started, heart accelerating at his declaration. "It doesn't matter, let's just forget about it ok?"

"I don't want to forget about it!" He exclaimed. "But this is too messed up, everything is messed up!" He leaned against the wall and put his head in his hands. I cautiously approached and tried to put a hand on his shoulder. But before it could land, Spider-Man shot up and backed away from me. "I'm sorry," he said again before raising his arm toward the roof of the building next to us.

"Wait!" I shouted, but it was too late. He had shot a web at the roof, jumped up, and swung out of the alley and out of sight.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10 - Investigating

"Oh hun, you look _awful!_ "

"Wow, thanks Betty, that sure makes me feel better."

"I'm sorry, but Jesus Christ what happened to you, Emily?"

"Rejection."

"Damn."

It was the afternoon after the almost kiss with Spider-Man and I was in a foul mood. I was embarrassed, frustrated, confused, pretty much a healthy mixture of every emotion possible. I was on my lunch break with Betty, filling her in on my day off.

"What happened?" She asked. I took a bite of my apple before speaking.

"Well, I had Peter over almost all day, we watched _the Princess Bride_ which he had never seen before-" she held up a hand to interrupt me.

"Wait, you had Peter at your apartment and you just watched a movie?!" She demanded. "What the hell Em?"

"Hey I'm not done!" I responded quickly. "Don't interrupt!" She rolled her eyes. "Thank you. Ok, so we finished the movie and just chatted for a while but then he fell asleep during the second movie and his head was on my shoulder the whole time. But I had barely gotten any sleep the night before so I was tired too and I fell asleep. Then he had to leave to have dinner at his aunt's so he woke me up and said bye and I fell back asleep-"

"You said you were rejected, I'm confused," Betty interjected once again.

"You wouldn't be confused if you just stopped and _listened_ ," I chastised. "When I woke up, I wanted a sandwich so I left and started walking to a shop when Spider-Man showed up. And we talked for a few minutes and I realized that I have feelings for both Peter and Spider-Man so I got flustered and decided the best way to resolve those feelings was to pretty much pin Spider-Man against the wall and try to kiss him." Betty gasped loudly.

"YOU HORNY MOTHERFUCKER!" She shouted in the blessedly empty lunch room. I face palmed. "So wait, he stopped you from kissing him?" I nodded.

"Then he started saying all this shit like 'it's not you, it's me' and 'I want to but I can't' and my personal favorite 'this is all messed up.'" Betty winced.

"Fuck that's harsh," she said. "But he said he wanted to kiss you?"

"Yeah, right before he swung away without finishing the conversation," I grumbled bitterly.

"Ouch."

"No kidding." Betty threw her hands up.

"Well then screw him, hun!" She proclaimed. "If he doesn't want you then it's his loss!" I chuckled halfheartedly.

"That's such a cliche thing to say," I told her.

"Okay first, rude, second who cares if it's cliche when it's _true?_ Besides, now you know how he feels and you can just focus on Peter." I shrugged.

"I suppose so," I said.

"That's the spirit!" She said grinning at me. "Did anything promising happen when you were with Peter besides watching movies and sleeping?" I briefly recalled the possible kiss he gave me on my forehead.

"Well. . .maybe?"

"Tell me."

"Ok well when he woke me up to say bye, I was super tired, right? So I wasn't really fully there. But I could have sworn that right before I fell back asleep, he kissed my forehead." Betty sighed.

"That's so romantic," she said, flopping her upper body on the table.

"But I don't know if I just imagined it or not!" I rushed out.

"Let's just imagine that it did happen, what are you going to do about it?"

I paused.

"Well," I began. "I'm going to try and hang out with him again, I suppose."

"That's a start!" Betty glanced down at her watch. "Oh shit, we better get back!"

I was on my way back to my desk when the man we were just talking about walked by quickly.

"Pete!" I called after him excitedly. I saw him freeze and turn slowly.

"Emily!" He said awkwardly. "What's up?" I shrugged.

"Nothing much," I said. "I just had a lot of fun yesterday, maybe we can get together again this weekend to hang out?" He shuffled his feet, looking anywhere but my eyes.

"I can't this weekend," he said. I frowned.

"You okay Pete?" I asked worriedly. "You aren't going to disappear on me again are you?"

"No, Emily, I'm just busy," He said shortly.

"O-okay."

"I gotta go, see you later," Peter said before rushing down the hall and then out of sight. I stood there for a few moments, utterly confused. Betty appeared suddenly at my right shoulder.

"What the hell is up his ass today?" She asked. I shrugged, not wanting to talk and walked to my desk.

When I sat down, I stared motionless at my computer for a few minutes. Had I done something wrong? He seemed fine yesterday, but now he's really awkward around me. What had happened between him leaving to now?

While I was considering this, I realized that even though I knew basics about Peter, like his favorite food and color, I didn't _really_ know him. I opened up Google and searched his name.

A few articles came up. The first result was about his father, Richard, who was a scientist at OSCORP before dying years back. This information didn't surprise me, as Peter had said his parents passed away. I didn't know that his dad was a scientist though. And not just any scientist, he worked with Dr. Curtis Connors on cross species genetics. The name Connors sounded annoyingly familiar. I opened a new tab and searched his name as well.

 _Oh_ he was the Lizard! He tried to destroy New York a few years ago before Spider-Man stopped him. So Peter's Dad worked with him. This just got much more complex.

I went back to the search results on Peter and clicked on another article. This one was about Gwen Stacey. There was a picture of her with her family. She was beautiful. And apparently very intelligent too, she was top of her class and had a job at OSCORP before she died. Her father had been chief of police before he passed away helping Spider-Man defeat the Lizard. Spider-Man was involved in his death too?

The last article I looked at was written a few months before Captain Stacey's death. It was an obituary for Ben Parker, who was murdered while trying to stop a robber. He left behind his wife and nephew, Peter.

I covered my mouth slightly, processing this information.

Peter Parker certainly had been unlucky in his short life so far. First his parents, then his uncle, his girlfriend's father, then his girlfriend. Half of the deaths also had Spider-Man involved as well.

I froze suddenly, a thought clicking in my head.

If Peter's Dad is the one who worked with Dr. Connors on cross species genetics, is it possible that they actually succeeded in making animals that were capable of passing their genes on? Or more specifically, is it possible that they created a spider who could? And if they did that, is it possible that that spider actually _did_ bite someone? And they gained spider like qualities or powers? And maybe they started wearing a mask and saving New York citizens. And if that was possible, could that person be closely related to the scientists who worked on the project?

Maybe even his son.

I stood up quickly, turning off my computer and running toward the elevator. I heard Betty calling after me, but I ignored her. I needed to find Spider-Man.

I exited the Daily Bugle and began speed-walking through the city, looking for a blur of blue and red. I passed many people, many buildings, and I could still find no sign of him.

"God dammit!" I cursed loudly. A mother who walked by me with her young daughter glared at me. "Sorry," I apologized, very embarrassed.

Getting no where on my search for Spider-Man, I went to a nearby cafe and ordered a coffee. Since I already skipped out of work, I may as well enjoy myself until I find him. I was outside sipping my drink when I heard people down the street start cheering. I glanced up and saw the man himself swinging through the buildings. I immediately stood, running into an empty alleyway so no one could see me. I waited patiently for him to pass by the entrance of the alley. Then I started yelling.

"SPIDER-MAN! HEY!" I screamed. I heard the _thwip_ of his web stop and a thump on the building next to me. I looked up and saw Spider-Man peek his head around the corner, sticking to the wall.

"Emily?" He crawled further into the alley then jumped the high distance to the ground. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" He coughed and immediately continued in his fake voice. "Do you need help?" He looked me up and down as if he was searching for injuries.

"No, I'm fine," I said quickly. "But I need to talk to you. Can you take us to the roof?" Spider-Man paused.

"The last time I took you up high, you got really freaked out," He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you sure?" I nodded resolutely. "Alright then." He turned toward the brick wall. "Jump on." I faltered.

"On your back?" I squeaked. He turned his head back to look at me.

"Well, yeah I need my hands and legs free to crawl," He said matter of factly.

"Right," I muttered. Beginning to regret my decision, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, making sure not to choke him, then hooking my legs around his waist.

"Ready?" He asked me.

"As I'll ever be," I murmured back.

Spider-Man bent his legs, then leapt on to the wall. I closed my eyes the whole time we scaled the brick, focusing on holding onto his shoulders. At some point, I leaned my head into the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply. His familiar scent calmed my nerves.

When we reached the top, he climbed over the railing of the roof and I gingerly detached myself from him. Spider-Man turned to look at me.

"How you feeling?" He asked, still speaking in his ridiculous voice. I rolled my eyes slightly.

"Well I'm not going to barf if that's what you're asking," I said lightly. He chuckled.

"That's good!" He leaned up against the railing awkwardly. "So listen, about last night-"

"That's not what I want to talk to you about," I interrupted. His body language showed his surprise and relief.

"Oh! Well, um, then what did you want to talk about?" He asked cautiously.

"How are you?" I asked, preferring to start out easy. His large, white, unmoving eyes stared at me.

"You asked me to carry you to the roof so you could ask how I was?" Spider-Man asked in disbelief.

"Not exactly, but I thought it would be polite to ask," I said, crossing my arms. He nodded.

"Alright then," He said. "I'm doing ok I suppose. What about you?" I shrugged.

"Can't complain I guess. How's Aunt May?" I asked nonchalantly.

"She's doing okay, she misses Uncle Ben but it's getting easier with tim-" Spider-Man froze suddenly. I grinned. "I mean! Uhh-" I raised my eyebrows, waiting patiently while he floundered for a good excuse, but knowing I had caught him. He covered his masked face in his hands. "Oh fuck," He moaned.

"Pete," I whispered, moving closer. "It's okay." He ripped off his mask, giving me the last vindication I needed. He didn't have his glasses on and his hair was severely messed up, but the face was unmistakably Peter Parker's. He avoided my eyes.

"How did you find out?" He muttered.

"I'm a reporter, it's kinda my job to find out things," I responded. "And it doesn't help that you sound the same, act the same, and you have the same body type. Really, this explained everything from the bruises down to you being late all the time. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't figure it out sooner." Peter chuckled humorlessly.

"You're too smart," he said.

"I would argue I'm pretty stupid about a lot of things," I countered, trying to get a genuine smile or laugh from him. I was graced with a half smile.

"Maybe some things," he allowed. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," I said suddenly. Peter turned and looked me in the eyes finally. I could tell he was trying to gage my truthfulness and how much he could really trust me.

"I know," he said finally. "But I wish you hadn't found out. It's too dangerous." I groaned dramatically.

"Peter I'm sick of you saying that shit," I grumbled. "I know it's dangerous. But you can't protect everyone." His head whipped toward me, making me jump back slightly.

"Don't you think I know that?" He exclaimed. "I spend everyday wishing I was strong enough to protect everyone I care about but I'm not! I couldn't protect Uncle Ben, my parents, Captain Stacey, I couldn't even protect-" Peter looked away, breaking off his sentence.

"Gwen," I finished for him. His eyes met mine again. They were wet. "I read about her. She was really amazing." He nodded. "Would she want you to shut yourself out like this? To become an empty husk? You need friends, Pete. You need people who care about you. Sometimes the hero needs to be saved, too." Peter's eyes squished closed and I saw a few tears roll down his cheeks.

"I'm so lonely," he whispered. "I don't want to be alone anymore. I thought I could do it, but I can't."

"You don't have to," I said softly. I walked up to him slowly, giving him time to push me away, and carefully put my arms around him.

I stood there for a few moments, just hugging him, before I noticed his head lean on my shoulder and his arms wrap around me. I felt his shoulders shudder and I patted him reassuringly.

"It's ok, Pete," I murmured. "It will be ok."

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11 - Talking

I convinced Peter to come home with me so we could talk more. Unfortunately, the fastest way to my apartment was his terrifying mode of transportation. And I wasn't happy about that.

"Em! It's ok, just hold on!" He shouted over the wind. I nodded against his shoulder blades, refusing to look anywhere but the spider design on his back. Considering this was my third time traveling by spider, I was doing okay. I wasn't happy, but at least I wasn't on the verge of vomiting like the first time.

When we finally made it to the roof of my apartment, I nearly kissed the ground with joy.

"Oh thank god," I muttered, unhooking my shaking legs from Peter's waist and jumping to the ground. He put a hand on my shoulder to steady me.

"You cool?" He asked worriedly. I gave him a thumbs up.

"Totally cool," I said. "Let's go inside so I can snuggle my cat."

After we entered my apartment and I got cozy in my cat pjs, Peter proceeded to tell me everything about him being Spider-Man. I felt like this was not only helpful for me, but also extremely cathartic for him. I was the only one who knew who he was, so it seemed like having a person to talk to about all of this was very helpful.

It was a long story, he told me how he got bitten by a spider at OSCORP, how he witnessed his uncle's death, all the way to the night Gwen died. When that came up, he faltered.

"I've never talked about it," Peter whispered. "I was able to talk to Gwen about what really happened with Uncle Ben, but I've never been able to tell anyone the full story of what happened to her." I reached out and took his hand.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Pete," I told him reassuringly. "It's okay." He shook his head.

"I need to," He said determinedly. "It's just hard." He didn't speak for a few minutes. I waited patiently, knowing how difficult it must be to talk about her. "She fell," he choked out finally. "I didn't reach her in time. Her head-" he broke off and rubbed his eyes furiously. "The sound it made. . . I haven't been able to forget it. I dream about her all the time. It was _my_ fault she died." I frowned.

"Pete, it's not your fault," I said. "Look at me." He shook his head. "Peter." I gently placed a hand on his jaw and turned his head to look at me. He met my eyes finally. "It is not your fault. It was Harry's. You did everything right, you did everything you could to save her. She knew that. I know she did."

"You didn't know her though," he countered.

"Maybe not," I agreed. "But she had to have been a wonderful woman to catch your eye. And I don't think that kind of wonderful woman would be the sort to blame you for something that clearly wasn't your fault. Didn't you mention that Gwen said it was her choice? It was her choice, Pete. She was right where she wanted to be, helping you save the city." Peter nodded.

"You're right," He said. "She was where she wanted to be. I just wish she hadn't wanted to be there." I smiled sadly.

"Me too, Pete." I gave him a hug that made my insides flip. But I knew that at that moment, I had to put aside what I was feeling for him. He didn't need drama, he needed a friend. And even though I desperately wanted to be more, a friend was all I was going to be for him.

And that was okay, as long as he was happy.

* * *

Peter ended up being so exhausted I let him sleep in my bed that night. He tried to argue his way to the couch but I told him I had some work to do anyway and that he should take the bed. After much prodding he finally agreed.

It was only 12:30 in the morning when I heard him groaning and tossing and turning in his sleep. I put down my laptop and hurried into my bedroom. Peter was sweating and thrashing in bed. I sat down and gently tried to wake him.

"Peter," I murmured. "Pete, it's okay, it's just a dream." I wiped some of his sweaty hair off his forehead. His eyes shot open and he grabbed my wrist. I gasped in pain once before he recognized me and released my arm.

"Oh shit, Em I'm so sorry, are you alright?" He sat up, gently taking my hand and examining my wrist.

"I'm okay, Peter, don't worry," I reassured him through the throbbing of my wrist. "Are you alright? You were having a nightmare." He nodded.

"It was of her again," he whispered. "Of that night." I rubbed his back, trying to console him the best I could.

"It's alright, it was just a dream," I soothed. "Why don't you try to go back to sleep, okay?" He nodded again and leaned back down into the pillows. I resisted the urge to kiss his forehead and got up from the bed. I almost made it to the door before I heard him speak.

"Em?" I turned expectantly. "C-can you stay with me tonight?" I smiled gently.

"Yeah of course," I murmured. Peter scooted over on my bed so I could lay down as well. I got under the covers and got as close as I could to him without actually making contact. "Goodnight Pete," I whispered. I felt his hand grab mine and I gave a sharp inhale.

"Night Em."

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, Peter was already dressed in his Spider-Man costume again and was staring at the wall next to my bed with a small smile.

"Morning," I mumbled. He glanced over at me.

"Hey," He said, coming to sit on the bed next to me. "Thanks for last night, I hope that wasn't too weird for you."

"No it wasn't weird at all," I lied. "I'm glad I could help."

"Honestly, that was the best I've slept in a really long time," Peter said. I blushed.

"I'm really glad," I whispered. His smile widened before looking back at the wall.

"So," Peter started. "You kept my notes?" For the first time I looked where his vision was fixed on. I had taped up the two notes Spider-Man had left me. _Oh shit._

"O-oh well, yeah I mean, it's not everyday a superhero writes you a note and I got two of them!" I sputtered out quickly. I don't know why I was so nervous, Peter knew I had a crush on him. At least I assumed he did, I wasn't exactly subtle. I should probably work on that. His eyes met mine and for a moment I thought I saw a flash of pink on his own cheeks.

"That's cute," He said.

"Not as cute as you," I said immediately, subtly flying out the window. I slapped a hand to my mouth. "I mean-" I fumbled with my hands. "Okay you know I like you," I said, deciding to be brutally honest. "Especially since I've told both you and Spider-Man that I like the other person. I guess it makes it less confusing for me to have feelings for both of you now that I know you're one person, but it's probably awkward for you and I'm sorry about that. And now I'm babbling I'm sorry about that too." I chuckled nervously. Peter didn't speak for several moments. "Well say something," I pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I just don't have those feelings for you," he whispered, looking at his feet. My heart sank to my stomach and I felt sick.

"Right," I said. "That's okay. I mean, I would still like to be friends? If that's okay with you?"

"Yeah of course, Em," He said, moving closer to me. "You're my best friend." I smiled sadly.

"And that sounds perfect to me," I said lying through my teeth. I took a deep breath, sucking in my almost tears and pushing them out. I needed to be a friend.

I decided I had to change the subject, quickly.

"So, how much do you think I could sell your notes for?" I asked casually, leaning on my bed. Peter let out a relieved laugh.

"I guess it depends on who you want to sell to," he said. "I bet Jameson would pay at least $15 if you're lucky."

"For each?"

"Oh god no, for both," he said, laughing. I joined him.

"'He's a menace!'" I quoted, making my voice deep and gruff like Jameson's. Peter cackled.

"'Spider-Man's a coward who doesn't show his face!'" Peter added. We laughed and continued mocking Jameson until I noticed my phone ringing. I was about to stand and get it, but Peter got there first. Or rather his webs did. He caught it effortlessly and tossed it to me.

"Show off," I smirked at him. He shrugged.

"It's nice to not have to pretend around you," He said, not bothering to deny it. I flashed him a smile before answering my phone.

"Hello, Emily Anderson speaking," I said officially.

"EMILY!" A voice screamed in my ear. I pulled the phone back slightly, wincing.

"Betty! Jesus, I think you broke my ear!" I said grumpily. Peter busied himself by petting Pumpkin while I spoke.

"Emily, something happened!" I froze.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?" I demanded urgently. I saw Peter look at me worriedly before motioning for me to put the phone on speaker. I did as he asked.

"I've been trying to call you for ages," Betty continued anxiously. "It's about the Rhino." My eyes met Peter's.

"Are you alright though, did he kidnap you?" I asked.

"What? No I'm fine, but Jameson was taken," she said. I covered the phone quickly.

"I thought you told the police!" I hissed to Peter.

"I did!" He whispered back.

"Emily?" Betty called.

"I thought Spider-Man told the police he was in danger," I said once I uncovered the phone.

"No no, not our boss, his son! _John_ Jameson was kidnapped!"

* * *

 _Plot twist? Maybe?_ _I know this chapter isn't too long but I mean I had to end it there it's a great cliffhanger #noragrets_

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	12. Chapter 12 - Rhino Attacks

_Last Chapter:_

 _"I thought Spider-Man told the police he was in danger," I said once I uncovered the phone._

 _"No no, not our boss, his son! John Jameson was kidnapped!"_

* * *

Peter shot up, grabbing his mask from my dresser.

"Betty, I'll call you back okay?" I said quickly.

"Are you fuc-"

I hung up the phone before she could finish her sentence.

"Peter, where are you going?" I asked, following him into my living room.

"I have to find him," he said. "I can't let Rhino kill him." I stopped him from putting on his mask so I could talk to him.

"Hey! We don't know if that's what he is going to do anyway! You don't even know where he is!" I tried to reason. He ignored me.

"I need you to stay home today," he said. I blanched.

"I can't, Jameson's _son_ was kidnapped, I have to go in!" I exclaimed. Peter sighed angrily before grabbing my face between his hands.

"I cannot lose you Emily," he said seriously. "You don't understand how important you are to me, you need to be safe." I was torn between being frustrated at the fact he thought he could tell me what to do and happy that he cared so much about me. I gently removed his hands from my face and held them in mine.

"Peter," I began cautiously. "I appreciate and love the fact that you care about my safety. But I can't live my life being careful and playing 'what-ifs.' I am going to work today. I need you to respect that." Peter groaned and walked away from me, running his hands through his hair.

"Okay, okay, okay," he muttered. "Okay, will you let me take you to work and pick you up?" I rubbed my face and grumbled.

"You know I'm not a fan of the way you travel, Pete," I said.

"Come on, please?" he asked, brown eyes begging me. He took my hands again. "Just so I know you're safe." I weighed the pros and cons quickly.

Pros - I get to spend more time with Peter, I arrive "safely" to and from work. I get to spend time with Peter.

Cons - fucking heights.

"Okay fine," I said eventually. Peter let out an audible sigh of relief before leaning his forehead against mine.

"Thank you," He murmured, his hand cupping my cheek.

"Sure," I squeaked. _For someone who doesn't have feelings for me, he certainly is touchy-feely this morning._

After Peter and I separated, I dressed as quickly as possible, foregoing most of my makeup and hair styling, instead throwing it up in a messy ponytail. I grabbed a banana from my kitchen, not bothering to eat much more for fear of my stomach rejecting the way I would be getting to work today. While I ate my meager breakfast, I did a mental recap of everything that had happened this morning so far.

I slept with Peter Parker. In the same bed. Overnight. He held my hand. I confessed my feelings for him which he said he didn't return, even though he had been touching me every chance he could get. Jameson's son had been taken by the Rhino. And now I was about to go to work by web.

What the shit is happening to my life?

"Em! You almost ready?" I heard Peter call from the balcony (fire escape). I groaned.

"Be there in a second!" I responded, shoving the rest of my banana in my mouth. I slung my bag over my shoulder. I stopped by my cat before I left, whispering my fond farewells should I not return.

"Emily, I can hear you, stop telling Pumpkin I'm going to drop you!" Peter exclaimed. I poked my head out of my window to look at the fully masked Spider-Man.

"You have super hearing too?" I questioned. Peter shrugged.

"I wouldn't call it _super_ but definitely enhanced," he responded. I froze, a thought suddenly occurring to me.

"Does that mean you've heard the conversations I've had with Betty while you were there?" I demanded, thoroughly embarrassed. He did his stereotypical rub of the neck, something I've noticed he does whenever he is nervous. "Well that's awesome," I muttered. "Lovely."

"Sorry, I can't help it," he claimed. "I try not to."

"Suuuuure," I said skeptically. I could practically see him roll his eyes from under the mask.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, you coming?" Peter extended out his hand to me to help me through the window. Even though I could have easily climbed through myself, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to hold his hand. So I took it. Carefully, he extracted me from my apartment and held on to my waist to steady me. "Alright, how do you want to do this? Do you want to piggyback again?" He asked.

"Whatever is easiest for you," I said. "Whatever makes it safer for me to not fall to my death." He chuckled.

"Emily, I've carried you three times now and you haven't fallen once," He said. "A little trust please?"

"But this is the furthest you've carried me!" I protested. He shrugged.

"I've carried people further," He said unfazed. I gritted my teeth in fear.

"Alright, piggyback it is," I muttered. Peter turned, bending down slightly so I could climb on his back. I leapt on, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his shoulders. He straightened up.

"Ready?"

"Sure, why not?" I said with false happiness. Peter laughed and leapt upward.

I was able to slightly enjoy myself more than I had before. I knew what to expect and I trusted that Peter would never drop me. Feeling brave, I peeled my face from his shoulder blades for a moment, watching the buildings fly past. It was exhilarating.

Also nauseating.

I quickly closed my eyes again and pushed my face into Peter's back. I didn't look up again until we got to the roof of the Daily Bugle.

We landed gently enough, but of course it took me a moment or two to detangle my shaking limbs from Peter. As usual, he grabbed my shoulder to make sure I wouldn't fall over.

"You doing okay?" He asked. I nodded.

"Surprisingly, yes," I said. "It's getting easier."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "Alright, I'm going to meet you here at 7:30 tonight. Be here and please stay out of trouble." I chuckled.

"Well you know me," I said jokingly, giving his arm a friendly punch. "I live for danger." Peter's head rolled back.

"Har har, you're so funny," he said sarcastically. "Just be careful."

"I will."

* * *

When I walked out of the elevator doors, I made a beeline for Betty's desk. If anyone were to know what was going on, it was her. As soon as I neared her desk, she looked up at me. She looked haggard.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "I've been trying to call and text you all morning!"

"I'm really sorry," I said quickly. "My phone's been acting up. What's going on?" Betty flailed her arms slightly.

"How the fuck should I know?" she said frustrated. "All I know is that the Rhino kidnapped John Jameson and our Jameson is _pissed!_ " I sighed.

"Of course he is, his son was taken," I muttered, rubbing my face. Without warning, Jameson's door flew open. Betty and I jumped.

"ANDERSON. GET IN HERE!" Jameson bellowed. I gulped and hurriedly entered his office. Jameson sat down behind his desk, smoking his cigar. He was visibly distraught, his hair normally combed into a perfect flat top was wild and untamed. He had large dark circles under his wide eyes. When I sat, he reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of alcohol, pouring himself a drink.

"I'm sorry to hear about your son sir-" I began but he interrupted me, like he didn't want my sympathy.

"I want you to write the worst article about Spider-Man ever published by this paper!" He demanded, taking a large gulp of his drink. "He is behind this, he lead the police on as a distraction to kidnap my son! My son! Spider-Man is a devil and he needs to go down!"

I sputtered.

"Sir, I really don't think it was Spider-Man-"

"Of course it was, he saw the articles we wrote about him and he got angry!" Jameson shouted. "He broke out the Rhino and used him to kidnap John! No one else could have taken him, he's strong! He's an astronaut!" He slammed the glass down on his desk. I felt a deep sense of empathy for my boss. He was an asshole, but he didn't deserve this. No one did.

"I'll do what I can, sir," I agreed finally, having no intention to actually write anything.

"Good, now get out."

* * *

I made it all the way until lunch without incident. Betty and I had just walked back to our desks when all hell broke loose.

A large crash echoed through the Bugle. I stood quickly, trying to see where the crash came from when I saw a gaping hole in the window of Jameson's office. I swore, leaping out of my seat and dashing to him. Everyone else was swarming toward the elevator, making my progress slow and frustrating. But finally I got to Jameson's office. Before I could open the door, Betty grabbed my arm.

"Emily, what the hell are you doing?!" She demanded, having to speak loudly over the screams. I wrenched my arm away from hers.

"I have to help Jameson, get out of here!" I shouted.

"You can't go in there!" She yelled back. "The Rhino is in there!"

"I know self defense I'll be ok!"

"Emily!" Betty screeched. "You took ONE class you aren't a superhero!" I ignored her and wrenched the office door open. "EMILY!"

When I entered the room, the wind from outside was blowing in and scattering papers everywhere. In the corner I saw Rhino choking Jameson.

"Come on Jameson, where is she?!" The Rhino bellowed, spit flying in Jameson's face.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jameson shouted. "She sends her stuff from California, she doesn't even live here! But maybe if you give me back my son I can give you her address!" The Rhino cackled.

"No way, he's getting me a lot of money," Rhino said. "You wanna beg for a life, beg for your own!" His mechanical arm reached out and was about to grab Jameson's neck when I finally unfroze. I couldn't let him die because of me.

"HEY ASSHOLE!" I shouted. They both whipped their heads toward the interruption. "Looking for me?" The Rhino's face contorted into a grin.

"Actually, yes," he said. He turned back to Jameson and punched him quickly in the face, knocking him out. Swiveling on his feet, the Rhino faced me again. "Thank you for making my job much easier." I started backing up into the corner.

"You're welcome," I quipped, hoping I sounded confident and not like I was going to shit my pants. He laughed.

"Won't be able to make jokes after I'm through with you!" His arm shot out and grabbed my neck. I gasped, frantically trying to get oxygen. I clawed at his hand but it was no use. His grip was slowly getting stronger. I began to see stars, my vision started to tunnel. This is it. This is where I die.

Suddenly, the Rhino fell forward, dropping me onto the ground. I greedily sucked in air, clutching at my throat and coughing. I felt hands on me.

"Emily! Emily please, are you okay?!" A familiar voice shouted over the wind. I cracked my eyes open to see Spider-Man. Peter. He was holding me up and stroking my cheek.

"Hey Spidey," I choked out. "Long time no see." He let out a short, relieved laugh before the Rhino started to groan and get up. Peter sat me up and shoved me hastily behind him.

"Ahh did I find your girlfriend, little spider?" The Rhino taunted, spiting a wad of blood on the floor.

"Nah, I don't like to be tied down to anything," Spider-Man said casually. "But maybe you do!" He quickly shot his webs at the Rhino's feet, trying to immobilize him. The webs must have been stronger than they looked because the Rhino couldn't immediately break out of them. Spider-Man whipped around to me and pulled me to my feet. He started pushing me toward the door. "Get the hell out of here, Em!" I stumbled forward, looking back once I got to the door. As I did, the Rhino escaped Peter's webs and lunged forward.

"WATCH OUT!" I screeched. Even before the last syllable had left my lips, Peter was ducking from Rhino's punch. Knowing I could only be a hindrance at this point, I decided to get the fuck out of dodge. I wiggled the door handle, once, twice, three times. To my horror, it was broken and I couldn't get it open. I was stuck. "Fuck!"

When I cursed, Peter's head snapped to me. In that moment of distraction, the Rhino took the opportunity to smack Peter out of the broken out window. I screamed.

The Rhino turned to me, his face twisting into a smile before charging at me. I waited until the last possible moment before jumping out of his way. Unable to turn fast enough, the Rhino went right through the office door. I stepped through the broken glass and wood carefully. Once free, I made a mad dash to the stairwell. But I wasn't fast enough. I could hear him running after me. I could feel the vibrations on the floor. I extended my arm, the door to the stairway only feet away. When I reached it, I threw my hand on the handle, but a hand grabbed my head and left arm. He squeezed the latter so tight I could hear it break. I let out one shout of pain before the Rhino slammed my head into the door. I fell to the ground, my vision black.

* * *

 _I have a poll on my profile about the sequel(?) and villain so check that out if you want :)_

 _Also, pacing, what's pacing I don't know her lol *dances out of the chapter*_

 _ _Illustrations can be found here www. wattpad 474406493-the -reporter- chapter-twelve- rhino-attacks just remove the spaces :)__


	13. Chapter 13 - Aftermath

When I opened my eyes, I was back in my house in California. It was night, and I was in my bed. As I looked around, I noticed that I was not in my adult bedroom, but my childhood bedroom. There were posters of Disney movies and Harry Potter littering the walls and my bedsheets were covered with Barbie. I slowly sat up, confused _. How the hell did I get here?_

I slid out of bed and headed to the door. I saw myself in the mirror hanging from it and gasped. I was a child. I took a few steps back.

"What the fuck?" I said quietly. I laughed slightly at the sound of my child self saying "fuck" but sobered quickly when I saw the date on my cat calendar.

November 13.

"No," I whispered. "No, no, no!" Tears started streaming down my face. I threw my body back in bed and willed myself to wake up. _This can't be happening, not again._

To my horror, I heard the familiar sound of gunshots echoing through my childhood home. I let out a sob.

"Please, no!" I cried. "Please!"

"Please, Emily! Help us!" I heard my brother and father scream. I plugged my ears, trying to block out his voice. But soon, a different voice started speaking.

" _Emily_!"

This voice did not come from my brother or father.

" _Emily_!" The voice yelled again.

"I can hear you!" I whispered. "Where are you?" I got from my bed and tried to follow the voice.

" _Emily, please_!" The voice was louder as I entered the hallway. I was walked to the front door and listened.

" _EMILY_!" I opened the door.

* * *

My eyes flew open and I let out a loud gasp. My face was wet. I looked around wildly until my eyes found the mask of Spider-Man, once again holding me up. I began crying softly.

"I saw it again," I sobbed. "They died again." Peter tilted his head in confusion before ripping off his mask. "No! Peter, the cameras!"

"I webbed them," he responded, clutching me tightly. "They can't see. I need to make sure you're okay." I nodded, tears still rolling down my cheeks. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter," I said, deciding that I didn't have the heart to talk about it. Peter frowned, like he didn't believe me in the slightest and pulled me into a hug.

"It's okay," He murmured into my ear. "You're okay." I held on to him tightly. Soon, however, Peter loosened his grip. "The police are coming up the stairs," he told me. I clutched his arms, sitting myself up, but avoided the use of my throbbing left arm.

"You need to go!" I said urgently. "They will arrest you if you're still here!" I grabbed his mask and thrusted it into his hands. "Go!"

"I don't want to leave you!" He said, expression pained.

"Come to my apartment later," I told him. "I'm sure they will make me go to the hospital, I think I have a concussion and a broken arm, so I will see you tonight when I'm released." Peter's brow furrowed, obviously reluctant.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, cupping my cheek. "I wish I could go with you."

"It's okay, Pete," I replied. The thundering of footsteps in the stairway next to us told me that the police were close. "Go!" Peter leaned me up against the wall and grabbed my face with his other hand. Before I could register what he was doing, his lips crashed down onto mine. The moment was so brief and fleeting and by the time I opened my eyes, he had gone.

The door next to me flew open and police officers in SWAT uniform flew into the room. They were shouting and carrying weapons. One stopped and put an arm on my shoulder, but I continued to stare forward, in a daze.

"Are you alright, miss?" The officer questioned. I finally looked up and met his eyes.

"I'm fucking _awesome_."

* * *

Turns out I was a little less than awesome. In total, I ended up with a completely broken left arm, a concussion, bruised esophagus, and many cuts and bruises. I tried to convince the hospital staff that I was ok and just needed to be patched up, but they insisted to keep me for at least a few hours. I sat in the ER room, frustratingly drumming my fingers against the bed.

I wanted to be with Peter. I wanted to ask what the hell was going on between us, because contrary to what he claimed literally this morning, he obviously has some sort of feelings for me. The thought made my heart flutter and my face flush. I tried to focus on the kiss he gave me and not the dream I'd had when I was unconscious.

It had been years since I dreamt about that night. My mom had been away on business and it was just me, my brother, and my father at home. When we were all asleep, a burglar broke into our house. He thought that we were all gone instead of it just being my mom. Once my dad woke up and realized what was going on, he told me and my brother to hide in our separate bedrooms. Dad tried to fight off the intruder, but he was shot. My brother was three years older than me and tried to go out and help Dad. But he was shot too. I stayed hidden under my bed until the police came. Luckily, a neighbor heard the shots and called them. My brother was in a coma for three weeks before he passed away. My father died immediately.

I was eight.

I sniffed, wiping away the tears that had fallen. It had taken lots of therapy and sleepless nights, but I finally started to move on. My mother had a harder time. She was terrified something would happen to me, which is why she insisted on all of the self defense classes. I had texted her often since arriving to New York, but it had been a while since I had called.

Grabbing my cell phone from the hospital end table, I dialed her number. She answered after a few rings.

"Emily!" She said happily. "What a nice surprise, how are you darling?" I chuckled slightly, throat still closed up from my tears and almost being choked to death. Mom heard the difference in my voice instantly. "Oh no, what's wrong?"

"It's been a rough day," I mumbled, though my mood had improved just from hearing her voice. "I had the dream again." The line was silent for a few moments.

"I'm so sorry hun," she said. "It's been a few years, huh?" I nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see me.

"To be honest, it's been so long I didn't even realize what I was dreaming at first," I said. "When I woke up I was just sobbing. I'm glad that Pete was there otherwise I would have been in such worse shape."

"Pete?"

Oh shit, I hadn't told my mom about Peter.

"Uh yeah," I said as nonchalantly as possible. "He's my friend."

"A friend who was with you when you woke up?" She asked skeptically.

"Yeah I mean, girls can have sleepovers but girls and guys can't?" I babbled. "Talk about gender stereotypes Mom, Jesus." She laughed.

"Okay, tell me when you're ready," she said, still giggling. I rolled my eyes. "Well I'm glad he was there to help you through it."

"Yeah, he's really amazing," I murmured.

"Sounds like it. Tell him I said hi, won't you?"

"Okay mom," I said. I looked up and saw my doctor in the doorway. "I gotta go, I'll talk to you later."

"Alright sweetie, I love you!"

"Love you too!" I said before hanging up.

Thankfully, the doctor was there to release me from the hospital. By the time I finally got home, it was very dark. I doubted Peter would still be at my place, considering he was Spider-Man and had to save people. I climbed the stairs slowly, body aching from being beaten up. I reached my door, unlocked it, and pushed it open.

A figure suddenly leapt forward out of the darkness and hugged me tightly. I stumbled.

"Peter?" I gasped. "Why are the lights off?"

"I was asleep," he mumbled against my neck. He leaned back and held my face gently, as if I would break. "I was so terrified. I thought you were dead in that hallway," he whispered. He kissed my forehead carefully. My eyes closed, unbidden. "It made me realize something." He kissed my cheek. I hummed as his mouth met my other cheek.

"What's that, Pete?" I murmured. He stopped kissing my face and met my eyes. They were dark and frightened, but something else lingered beneath them. An emotion I hadn't seen anyone look at me with.

"It made me realize," he began softly. "That I almost lost the opportunity to be with you. To really be with you. Not just as friends. I thought that by admitting my feelings, I would put you in danger. But you were almost killed anyway. Why should we both suffer alone when we could be together? I'm falling for you. I'm sorry I lied to you this morning, I was just-" I was so overcome with joy that I didn't let him finish his sentence.

I slammed my lips on to his.

He responded immediately, closing my front door and gently pushing me against it. I wrapped my arms around his neck, slanting my head to the side to get better access to his mouth. Peter carefully held my neck, lips parting so our tongues could meet. A shock of heat immediately rushed through me, making me gasp. He took that opportunity to push his tongue further into my mouth. I moaned loudly. To my dismay, this made him start to pull back. He softly pressed his lips against mine, then to my cheek, my forehead, then finally my nose. When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me, smile wide, his eyes lidded and dilated.

"Why did you stop?" I whispered, trying to capture his lips again. He chuckled and lightly pushed me so my back hit my door again. I grumbled in frustration which made him laugh harder.

"You almost died a few hours ago," Peter said sensibly. "As much as I would love to kiss the hell out of you until you can barely walk, you need to rest." My already red face flushed even more.

"Damn Pete," I said, voice cracking. "You're awfully confident in your kissing abilities. You sure you can make me that weak-kneed?" He winked.

"I _know_ , sweetheart," He flirted. I grinned.

"I don't know about that," I said coyly. "I think we will need to run some experiments. For science." I leaned in again, getting closer than I had before until Peter groaned loudly.

"You stop that!" He demanded. "You need to rest!" He picked me up, making me squeak.

"Hey!" I shouted. "I'm a big girl, I can walk!" He kissed my temple.

"Just let me, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, but didn't argue the subject further. As much as it pained my feminist sensibilities, I couldn't deny the attraction I felt at Peter being able to lift me like I weighed nothing. He carried me to my bedroom, laying me down before joining me. I cuddled into his side as he ran his fingers through my hair. I sighed contentedly.

"I think you were right," Peter said suddenly.

"I know," I said instantly. After a moment, I realized I didn't know what he was talking about. "Uhh. . .what was I right about this time?" He chuckled.

"Gwen wouldn't have wanted me to be alone," He whispered. "She would have wanted me to be happy. And you make me happy." I beamed at him.

"You make me happy too, Pete."

Before long, the stress of the day had me falling asleep. I tucked myself into Peter's side. "Thanks for saving me again," I mumbled sleepily.

"Always," I heard him whisper back before I fell asleep.

* * *

 _Yay! It happened! *confetti*_

 _ _ _Illustrations can be found here just remove the spaces :)__ www .wattpad 474874790 -the-reporter -chapter- thirteen- aftermath _____just remove the spaces :)____

 _Response to_ _ccmurphy:_

 _oHHhHhHH wow you are so sweet thank you so much! You made me so happy I can't even tell you, you are awesome and I love you_


	14. Chapter 14 - I'm Not Going Anywhere

I awoke the next morning to gentle kisses on my face. I grumbled and tried to push Pumpkin off me.

"Pumpkin, stop," I complained. Pumpkin laughed.

 _Wait_.

My eyes flew open and I saw Peter Parker staring down at me. "Oh," I murmured. He had a huge grin on his face.

"Good morning, hun," He said, kissing my nose. I hummed my greeting, still too sleepy to start a conversation. I couldn't understand how Peter was so awake. He chuckled at me. "Come on, Em, you gotta get up."

"Whyyyy though?" I moaned, closing my eyes again. "Work was blown up yesterday, I think we get the day off."

"Because I'm bored." I opened an eye to see Peter looking at me with the most adorable brown doe eyes I'd ever seen.

"How dare you look at me like that," I muttered. He smiled, widening his eyes even more.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, having the gall to actually _bat_ his eyelashes.

"You cheeky son of a bitch," I chuckled. "Fine fine, I'll get up." Peter cheered in triumph. "But if you are forcing me to get up we need to do some research." He sobered quickly.

"Emily I don't think it's a good idea for you to be on the Rhino case anymore," Peter said carefully. I opened my mouth to argue but he cut me off before I could. "Wait, just listen!" I frowned but closed my mouth. "He knows who you are now, it's dangerous. I mean you're freaking arm is in a cast, your throat is multicolored now, your head is swollen, this is too much. Can you let me take care of this? Please? This is my job, I'm good at it." I rubbed my face and groaned loudly.

"I don't like the idea of just giving up," I said.

"You aren't giving up, you're just handing off the torch," he said.

He was probably right. At this point, what good would I be? I don't have any special powers, I'm not physically well, he knows who I am and he could hurt the people I love. And now that he knows I mean something to Peter, the Rhino could use me against him. It was best for me to stay out of it. I finally nodded to him.

"Okay," I whispered. Peter sighed and kissed me lightly.

"I'm sorry," he muttered against my lips. "I know you don't want to." I shrugged.

"No you're probably right," I admitted. "I would only get in the way."

"You wouldn't get in the way," he corrected me. "I just want you to be safe." I hugged him tightly.

"I know," I said. "But I want you to be safe too." He laughed joyfully.

"Emily, I'm _Spider-Man_ ," Peter said, puffing out his chest slightly. "The Rhino is no match for me." I rolled my eyes, but still smiled.

"You know, if there's one thing I love most about you, it's definitely your modesty," I commented dryly. "Don't get too overconfident, that could be dangerous."

"Don't worry Em," He tilted my head up so I could look in his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." I smiled.

"You better not," I started. "You haven't taken me on a date yet." He laughed again.

"Don't worry, I will," Peter said with a large grin. "I'm not about to let you get away." My smile widened, making my eyes crinkle.

"You know, if I didn't know you better, that could have sounded really creepy," I joked with a wink. He kissed my nose.

"I'm glad you know better then," he murmured. He lowered his mouth to mine and gave me a deep kiss. I caressed the back of his head, pulling him closer. Our tongues met, stroking each other lightly. I moaned and made to sit up when sirens sounded from outside my window. Peter groaned.

"God dammit," he cursed quietly. I giggled and carded my hands through his hair.

"Come on, Spider-Man," I chuckled. "Time to save the world." He grumbled, but obediently went into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, he emerged in full gear, sans his mask. He made his way to me, dipping me down slightly and placing a firm kiss on my lips. I squeaked but kissed him back as much as I could before he pulled me back up. I leaned my forehead against his.

"Come back safe, okay?" I whispered before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"As you wish," he murmured before pulling his mask down and jumping from the window. I waved him off. I walked to my couch, grinning. Suddenly, the full meaning of his comment struck me.

 _As you wish._

Either he is the cheesiest cheese ball to ever cheese, or he had no idea what that meant. But we had just watched _the Princess Bride_ a few days before, he must have remembered that's what Westley said to Buttercup. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into this. Either way, I tried to put the comment out of my head. Most likely, nothing was meant by it.

I grabbed a book from my bookcase, went back to my spot on the couch and began reading.

* * *

I spent most of the day there, reading. At one point, my coffee table was finally delivered in its box. I spent a few moments reading the instructions and bringing out the pieces of thick wood before giving up. I could always do it later. I started reading again.

When it got time for dinner, I finally put my book down and made a quick meal of spaghetti. I took it back to my couch and turned on the news. To my horror, Spider-Man was on. I choked. As fast as I could, I reached for my remote and turned up the tv.

"Eyewitnesses say that the vigilante known as Spider-Man was seen here, fighting the individual who goes by the name Rhino," the newswoman said. "As you can see from the video, it seems like Spider-Man was injured before he swung away." The video shown was obviously from a phone, the shaky quality making it hard to distinguish any particulars besides Spider-Man's costume. He was limping. "Officers claim they were unable to apprehend either, but that they are working hard to find them."

Unable to hear anymore, I turned off the television. My leg bounced nervously and my food remained untouched. The video from the news looked like it had only been taken moments before the broadcast, so who knows where Peter was now. Was he still hurt? Was he trapped? Did Rhino have him? Was he in a hospital?

I could call the hospitals, maybe he changed out of his Spider-Man costume and went to the ER.

I grabbed my phone, searching for nearby medical centers. I ended up calling every single one in the city, but no one had any information about Peter. I ran my hands through my hair, pulling at it slightly. _Where was he?_

I decided to give him until the end of the night to contact me before I started searching the streets. I got as comfortable as I could on my couch, laying down and turning the volume on my phone all the way up in case he called. I opened my book again.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, a large thump woke me. My eyes shot open. I sat straight up, nervously getting off my couch and headed to the source of the sound. It seemed to be the fire escape. I grunted while I opened the window, only able to use one arm, and looked down.

It was Peter.

"Shit!" I jumped out of my window and onto my fire escape. I ripped off his mask and grabbed his deathly pale face. "Peter! Peter can you hear me? Shit come on, please!" I gently slapped his face to try to rouse him. He didn't wake. "Fuck!" I had to get him into my apartment so I could see where he was hurt. I grabbed under his armpits and took a deep breath, trying to pull him. I got about an inch before I had to stop. There was no way I could get him up and through the window. He was too heavy and with my cast, there was no way I could carry him.

Thinking fast, I jumped through the window back into my apartment. I grabbed a piece of wood from a pile that by now should have already been a coffee table. Thank god I was lazy. I hoped the plank would hold his weight long enough for me to get him inside.

Tossing the wood out first, I climbed back outside and went to check on Peter again. He still wasn't responding.

As quickly as I could, I took off his glove and used his web shooters to tie him to the plank of wood. I then was able to make a rudimentary pulley using his webs and a hook in the ceiling of my living room that used to hold a hanging plant.

Anchoring myself with my feet, I began pulling his web, which then lifted him through the window and onto my living room carpet. I cried out in relief. His head flopped to the side as he fell. I quickly cut the webs with a knife and pulled him on the couch, ignoring the pains emanating from my left arm. Once he was safely on the cushions I began to scan his body for injuries. Eventually, I found a large dark spot on his quad that looked like blood. Gingerly, I used the same knife I had used to cut his webs to make a small tear in his suit. To my horror, there was a large gash, almost like his leg had been pierced. The wound no doubt nicked an artery which caused the massive bleeding and made Peter lose consciousness. I was pretty sure the only reason he was still alive was his ability to heal quickly. But even his increased healing wasn't enough for a wound of this size. It needed to be bandaged and stitched up, fast.

"Okay, okay okay," I tried to reassure myself. "This is fine. Mom made you go through all of those classes for a reason, even if she didn't think the reason would be saving Spider-Man but she doesn't have to know that," I babbled on as I grabbed my first aid kit from my bathroom cabinet and a sewing kit from my bedroom. I knew the bare minimum about first aid thanks to my class, and although it had been years since I had last sewn, I hoped that I could remember enough to help him. I ran quickly back to Peter's side.

"Okay Pete," I whispered, hoping some part of him could hear me. "I'm sorry to do this sweetie, but I'm going to have to stitch you up." I took out a needle, taking care to sterilize it with peroxide then threading fishing wire though the little hole. This was less than ideal, but thread wouldn't be strong enough to hold the wound together. I dabbed at the corners and some of the inside of the cut with a cotton ball, trying to clean it. Peter groaned in his sleep. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "I'm so sorry."

After I cleaned the gash, I steadied my arm, preparing to make the first stitch. I took a deep breath and began the bloody work.

It was a long time before I finished. Hands shaking, I cleaned up the area as best as I could. I washed myself off and moved the armchair close to Peter. I took a shuddering gasp and put my head in my hands. I didn't know how much that helped him, or if he had lost too much blood already. I leaned against my hand and took out my book again. Soon though, I fell fast asleep.

I woke to a hand gently grabbing mine. I lurched forward in my armchair, frantically looking around the room when I saw Peter half sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Em," he muttered. I let out a sob and knelt in front of him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He grabbed the couch and leaned on his other arm to keep him upright.

"I thought you were dead," I cried into his neck. "First the news said they couldn't find you, I called every hospital in the city but you weren't there, then you show up unconscious on my fire escape bleeding out." I gripped his suit tightly with the arm that was in a cast, unwilling to let go. I pulled his face down to mine with my other and kissed him. I poured all of my emotions into the kiss, trying to convey how scared I was to almost lose him. It took him a moment to respond, but when he did, it was passionate and intense and everything I ever wanted in a kiss. I ran my fingers through his hair, and he gently held my neck. I gasped, unable to get enough air, but Peter kept kissing my face. My forehead, my cheeks, my nose, anywhere he could reach.

"I'm so sorry for doing that to you," he said, still kissing my face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know where else to go, I panicked." This made me finally loosen my grip and pull backwards to meet his eyes.

"I'm not upset that you came to me. I'm glad you did. I'm upset because I almost lost you," I said, tears streaming down my face. Peter raised his ungloved hand and carefully wiped them away.

"I'm not going anywhere, Em," he said softly, still holding my face. I nodded.

"Don't ever do that to me again," I commanded. "Ever."

"I'll do my best, love," he said caressing my cheek still. "But I have to stop him, I have to save Jameson." I thought for a moment.

"I have an idea."

* * *

 _Sorry, I know it's been a few days, things have been crazy. I had homework, work, had to get a new car, and my brother-in-law's grandma passed away so we've been cheering him up. Life is crazy. Hope you enjoy!_

 _You can find the illustrated version here: www. wattpad 475791420 -the-reporter- chapter-fourteen- i%27m-not-going /page /3 just remove the spaces :)_


	15. Chapter 15 - The Possibly Worst Idea Eve

"No, no, absolutely _not_ , are you crazy?!"

Peter, who had fully healed overnight, was pacing up and down my living room angrily.

"Peter," I began carefully. "I know this idea makes you nervous-"

"Nervous?!" He interrupted. "No, I'm way beyond nervous Emily! I thought you were smarter! How could you even think about doing something like this?" I ignored his frustrated jab at my intelligence and tried to calm him.

"This is the best plan we've got, Pete. You know it is, even if you don't want to admit it. The Rhino blew up Jameson's office trying to get to me, you can bet your ass that he would find me if I was walking around in plain sight. When he kidnaps me, you follow us, and you save me _and_ John. It's perfect," I said. Peter ran a hand through his hair.

"Emily, he might not bother with kidnapping you, he will probably just kill you right there!" He said logically. "It's not a good idea! We would be better off just waiting for him to come out and I can follow him then!"

That was actually a sound argument. He _could_ kill me immediately. I guess I could always find a reason that he would need me. He's pretty dumb, it wouldn't have to be the craziest thing.

"I could say I know your secret identity and I will only tell him when I know John is okay?" I suggested. "I can pretend that he had been my lover and I wanted to see him again." Peter stared at me with a blank expression for a few seconds.

"What?!" He shouted. "That sounds more like a rejected plot for a soap opera or a stupid fanfiction! Who would fall for that?!"

"The Rhino?"

He faltered.

"I-it doesn't matter," he said quickly. "There is no way in hell I'm letting you put yourself in that kind of danger!"

"Peter, I already put myself in danger!" I tried to reason. "I'm the one who went to his warehouse, remember?" He groaned.

"How could I forget?" He said. "That's the first time I realized just how reckless you are." I laughed slightly.

"Oh and me standing in the middle of the road taking pictures while the Rhino came charging wasn't enough of a sign?" He raised his eyebrows and shrugged as if to say 'good point.'

"Either way," I continued stubbornly. "I'm already on his radar through no ones fault but my own. I may as well do some good. Maybe it will cancel out my stupidity." He rolled his eyes but I saw a hint of a smile. "I need to do this, Pete. I will be fine." He sighed and closed the distance between us, cradling my head between his hands.

"You don't know that Em," he whispered. Up close, it was easier to see his eyes. The terror he was feeling was obvious, making my stomach twinge. I didn't want him to feel this way, but I couldn't think of another idea to find John and stop the Rhino before he hurt other people. I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was faster than I had noticed while cuddling him the night before.

"No, I don't," I agreed softly. "But neither of us has a better idea. And the longer we wait, the more likely it is that John will be either dead or sold to the highest bidder. Then Rhino can move on to his next victim. I know that this must seem horrible to you and that it is scary to think that something might happen to me. I get it, I really do.

"I know losing Gwen was one of the worst things that could have happened and I can't even begin to say how sorry I am that you had to endure that kind of pain. But I can't stay trapped in a bubble because of what happened to her."

He shook his head. "I don't want you to be in a bubble," Peter muttered, barely audible. "But there's a difference between me being overprotective and you being downright reckless." I hugged him, my face gently nuzzling his neck. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

"I know," I murmured. "But we have to think of the greater good here. If we don't stop Rhino now, he will keep going on attacking people. You know I'm right." Peter's head fell into the crook of my neck. To my surprise, I felt wetness on my skin. I backed up slightly to look at his face. He was crying. And it was my fault. My own eyes welled up. I wiped away his tears.

"I'm terrified I'm going to lose you too," he confessed. "I can't go through it again."

"I'm scared too," I admitted. "But I know you'll be there the whole time. My friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." I was blessed with half a smile. "And when we get back," I continued. "We are going to share the biggest tub of ice cream we can find." I earned a chuckle.

"As you wish."

* * *

I was alone.

I had been walking down the streets of New York for some time now, long enough that I had to pull my scarf out of my bag and wrap it tightly around my neck for warmth. I checked my phone. It was 9:14 pm.

As I meandered my way through the buildings, I kept an eye out in every direction I could. I didn't know where he was, or if he would show up at all. I had to be cautious.

I made my way to the edge of the city, near the water overlooking the bridge. I yawned. Leaning my body against the iron fence, I checked my phone again. 9:43 pm. A large, bulky man passed by me, nodding his head in greeting. I returned it cordially.

Suddenly, I heard splashing. I turned, expecting to see a large fish or bird. To my surprise, I felt arms grab my body from behind, lifting me up and throwing me over the fence and into the ocean.

I screamed, accidentally inhaling a mouth full of water. I sank into the murky water, desperately kicking my legs and moving my arms upward. When I reached the surface, I was barely able to let out a cough and a shuddering gasp before I was pulled under the waves again.

Two men in scuba suits were the culprits. I tried to fight them off and release my arms, but the shock of being thrown into the water and being attacked was too much for me. I couldn't get free. As soon as I resigned to my fate, the men thrust an oxygen tank and hose into my hands. I gratefully sucked in the air. The speed at which I breathed made me slightly lightheaded.

While I adjusted to being underwater, my captors were pulling me through the water by my arms. There was no way for me to escape them. My eyes burned. I couldn't tell whether the pain came from the dirty New York water or from my tears.

I was petrified. This was _not_ part of the plan and we hadn't prepared for this kind of scenario. The likelihood of Peter being able to follow us when we were underwater, (cloudy, murky, disgusting water no less), and swimming at nighttime, was slim to none. On a scale of one to screwed, I blew past screwed and went straight to royally _fucked_.

But they couldn't know how scared I was. I had to remain positive. Peter would find me. I knew he would. Until then, I had to channel his Spidey strength and wit to survive.

After nearly fifteen minutes, we finally broke the surface. I gulped in the fresh air. It took me a few moments to adjust to the cool night air again. I blinked water out of my eyes and turned to the two men. They stared at me with blank expressions, still wearing their face masks.

"Hey, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, can we get moving?" I said dryly. "It's fucking cold."

 _Okay maybe tone down the Spidey wit_ , I thought to myself.

The men took hold of my arms once again and began swimming toward the shore. Once we made it on dry land, I considered trying to break free. There were only two of them, I took out the same amount in the alley way a while ago. I could do it.

Acting quickly, I stuck out my foot in front of the man to my left. He toppled to the ground, his heavy scuba gear and the sand making it difficult for him to get back to his feet.

"Oh my heavens," I said dramatically. "I am _so_ sorry!"

The man on the right went to go help his buddy, but I kicked his behind as he bent over, forcing him face first into the sand. I kicked both of their heads at their temples. They groaned loudly.

"Later Tweedles!" I exclaimed, making a run for the street. I jumped over the concrete ledge separating the road and the beach, making my way to the bus stop. I hid next to it, looking around me for possible Rhino minions. Slowly, I started backing away from the beach.

Suddenly, I felt something cold and round hit the back of my head. I froze.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" A deep voice chuckled from behind me. In an attempt to disguise my shaking body, I shrugged.

"Only compared to some," I said confidently.

Arms grabbed mine from behind, and I could sense a zip tie being closed around my wrists. I winced as the plastic pinched my skin. The man spun me around to face him. He was tall, stocky, and very menacing. He looked as if he could use me as a toothpick. I tried to not show how scared I was. Considering the large grin plastered on the bulky male I don't think I succeeded.

Large footsteps and groaning from behind me let me know Tweedle Dee and Tweedle had recovered. Scary Man scowled at them.

"You two are the biggest fucking morons I've ever met," he said angrily. "You really let this bitch overpower you? Seriously?" The Tweedles exchanged glances before looking down at the ground.

"Sorry man," Tweedle Dum said. "She's like, really smart, I think she knows karate."

"Idiot, she just knocked us down, she didn't do anything crazy," Tweedle Dee retorted. Scary Man rolled his eyes. Then, in a motion too quick for me to realize what was happening, Scary Man whipped his gun around to point at Tweedle Dum. Then he pulled the trigger.

I screamed as Tweedle Dum's body collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around his body. Tweedle Dee yelped and jumped back. I squeezed my eyes shut, the brave facade crumbling instantly. Tears poured down my face. When I opened my eyes again, I saw my brother and father laying in blood. I sobbed uncontrollably, my body convulsing and giving way. Only Scary Man's grip on my arms kept me upright.

I heard him and Tweedle Dee talking, but they seemed far away, like they were behind a door or a screen. I continued to gasp and sob loudly. The male voices grew louder, but I could only see my daddy and brother laying on the ground, dead. It was my fault. My fault. It should have been me. I should be dead, not them.

Suddenly, a hard slap to my face jogged me out of my panic. My eyes flashed up to meet Scary Man's.

"Be quiet, bitch!" He hissed. After a few more shuddering breaths, I was finally able to calm myself. Cautiously, I looked down again and only saw Tweedle Dum. I let out a sigh of relief. "You're really fucked up huh?" Scary Man said. I shrugged wordlessly. "Alright, whatever let's get moving."

Without warning, my vision went dark. I stumbled a bit before I realized they had just blindfolded me. They pushed me forward, making me walk.

"You know," I began, trying to raise my courage again. "If you are kidnapping me, what's the point of the blindfold? It's not like I'll be able to escape and tell someone where I was."

I heard Scary Man let out a frustrated sigh before I heard duct tape being pulled out. A piece was slapped over my mouth firmly.

"Thank Christ," Scary Man muttered.

We walked for a few minutes before an idea occurred to me. Maybe if I hold us up, Peter will have time to find me. With that in mind, I braced myself mentally and collapsed into the concrete.

"For fuck's sake, get up!" Scary Man shouted. I fell forward again, trying to balance on my knees. I felt myself being pulled up and pushed onward. I walked another minute before once more throwing myself onto the ground.

I repeated this two more times before they lost their patience. They groaned.

"You know it's weird how clumsy she is," I heard Tweedle Dee say. "She was able to kick our butts just a little bit ago."

"She's faking," Scary Man realized. "She's trying to slow us down so the spider can find us!" I had the sudden sensation of flying before my stomach hit something hard. Scary Man has picked me up and threw me on his shoulder. Well shit.

About ten minutes later, Scary Man finally stopped. He tossed me carelessly on the ground, making me moan in pain. I heard mechanical sounds and felt vibrations on the floor beneath me. I was lifted once again, and placed in a metal chair where I was tied up.

"We got here, now where's our money?" I heard Scary Man spit out. In response, I heard the bang of two bullets being shot and two thumps. I yelled, but the sound was muffled by the duct tape.

Out of nowhere, my eyes were blinded by a bright light. I closed them tightly, squeezing a few tears out. I blinked, trying to adjust to the light. A large blurry figure was visible.

"Emily Anderson," a gruff, Russian voice said. Finally, my eyes cleared and I saw who was in front of me.

Big surprise, it was the Rhino.

* * *

 _Sorry I haven't been updating as much lately, I've got exams and such._

 _Much love!_


	16. Chapter 16 - John Jameson

_**Previously:**_

 _"Emily Anderson," a gruff, Russian voice said. Finally, my eyes cleared and I saw who was in front of me._

 _Big surprise, it was the Rhino._

* * *

I blinked my eyes a few more times before taking in my surroundings. I was in a dark room, the concrete walls completely. I turned my head to my right and saw a slumped figure in a chair next to me. I leaned forward trying to identify the person.

He looked as if he would be handsome, but dark bruises and swelling disfigured and hid any resemblance of beauty. I squinted and looked closer. His hair was dark and short, almost a buzz cut. The man lifted his head and turned to look at me. His brown eyes were piercing and familiar. They were the eyes of my boss.

I had found John Jameson.

Rhino laughed, noticing I recognized my cell mate.

"You finally found Jameson," he said in a heavy accent. "Congratulations. If only you weren't going to die soon, this would be a momentous occasion." I glared at him, the duct tape over my mouth making it impossible for me to respond. He laughed again. "You want the tape off? Here." Rhino leaned forward and ripped it off in one swift movement. I gasped. Without speaking, I spat at Rhino's armored feet. He yelled and jumped back as if my spit was a bomb. His eyes lit up in fury, and he slapped me across the face.

My cheek stung angrily and I felt blood dripping. His hand had been partly encased in his metal suit which his slap even more painful. I could feel my face swelling. John showed no reaction to my injury. He looked hollow.

"You bitch!" Rhino shouted. "Let's see what a few hours in here will do!" He went to the door and stepped out, slamming it shut behind him. I immediately turned to John.

"John!" I hissed. "Are you okay?!"

He said nothing.

"John! Answer me!"

Silence.

"You son of a bitch, talk to me!" I whisper shouted angrily. His eyes met mine finally.

"What?" He asked emotionless.

"Are you alright? What happened?" I asked softly. He laughed humorlessly.

"How the fuck should I know what happened," he asked quietly. "I've been in here." I rolled my eyes.

"I meant what happened to you, how did Rhino find you?" I asked. "You look pretty beat up." John shrugged.

"I was at a conference in Manhattan, he got me when I left the building. I tried to fight him. For days I tried. But no one is going to save me." He turned to me again. "And now no one will save you either."

"Fuck, John," I muttered. "Everything will be okay, I've got a guy on the outside he will find us." He raised an eyebrow.

"'A guy on the outside' what the hell does that mean?" He demanded. "You got Iron Man on speed dial?" I chuckled slightly.

"Not exactly," I admitted. "But close." He looked away, clearly not believing me.

"Sure thing," he muttered. "Who the hell are you anyway? How do you know me?"

"My name is Emily Anderson, I'm a reporter at the Daily Bugle. I know your dad," I said quickly. He looked at me for a second before nodding.

"Alright then. How did you get tied up in all of this?"

"Your father assigned me to an article on the Rhino," I told him. "While I was researching, I came upon a meeting with him as he and two other men discussed your kidnapping. Well, at the time, I thought they were talking about your dad. I'm sorry that I got it wrong." He didn't say anything so I continued. "Rhino ended up seeing me and tracking me down, that's how I got the broken arm."

"You're pretty stupid, aren't you?" John said with no hint of guilt. I blanched.

"Hey look _pal_ ," I spat out. "I know you've been in here a while and you are pissed, but that doesn't mean you can be an asshole. I was trying to save your life!"

"Yeah, look how well that worked out," he said in a monotone voice. I groaned in frustration.

"Look," I whispered. "Maybe we can get out of here. Is there some sort of air duc-"

"Tried it," he interrupted. I groaned.

"Okay, do _you_ have any ideas?" I said, trying to be calm and patient. This guy had been locked up for days, it's not hard to believe that he's lost hope.

"Nope," he responded bitterly.

"Awesome," I grumbled. "Well, we should try _something_. Anything. I may have someone who is trying to find us, but I don't know how long it will take. We can't wait on him, we have to help ourselves." John shrugged, eyes downcast. I bit my lip in thought.

Looking around the room again, I tried to search for any sort of tool for escape. To my dismay, the walls were almost completely barren, except for a small air duct on the ceiling. It definitely looked as though John had tried to pry it open, the surrounding metal and concrete were scratched to bits. The duct was, unfortunately, now welded shut, so Rhino found out about his escape attempt and made sure it would never happen. I frowned.

As I continued my observation, I realized that there was no visible camera in the room. There wasn't even a window in the door! Was the Rhino really that stupid?

"John!" I muttered quickly. "Does this room not have cameras?"

"Not that I saw," he said lowly. "Why, you got an idea?" His voice held the smallest glimmer of hope, but his face showed me that he wasn't willing to completely trust me yet. Understandable.

"I have the beginnings of a plan," I said.

"Alright, let's hear it, what have we got to lose?" John said.

"Your optimism is overwhelming," I said dryly.

"Would you just tell me?"

"Okay fine!" I said. "There aren't cameras or windows in here right? So that means Rhino doesn't know what we are doing in here unless he opens the door. If we can manage to get out of these chairs, we can hide on either side of the door until he comes in, then sneak out behind him, close the door, and book it!" John contemplated my plan for a moment.

"How do we get out of the ropes?" He asked finally. Well shit.

I fumbled around in my seat testing the bonds. They were tight. I turned back to John.

"I don't suppose you have one of those spy rings that has a laser in it?" I inquired. He looked at me, eyebrows raised for an awkward amount of time.

"Oh _yes_!" He began finally. "How could I have forgotten? Let me whip that out and oh, while we're at it, could you reach into my asshole, I think I left my spare gun in there!"

"Jesus, sorry, I'm just trying to lighten the mood," I grumbled.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm doing fucking _dandy_!" He bit out. "Seriously, there's no way to escape, I've tried everything, we may as well use our teeth to bite the ropes off!"

I said nothing, but made slow eye contact with him, a smile widening on my face. His eyes met mine and narrowed.

"You're a moron," he said.

"Well, these ropes seem pretty old, maybe it could work!" I reasoned. "We don't have any other plans!"

"I was being sarcastic!" He yelled. I ignored him, scooting my chair as close as I could to his and leaning my body forward to his bonds. "Are you actually going to try and bite the ropes off?" John asked in disbelief.

"What do we have to lose?" I demanded.

"Your dignity?" He shot back quickly. I smiled.

"I lost that a long time ago," I responded. He rolled his eyes and faced forward.

"Not surprising," he muttered. I glared at him for a second before gingerly placing my mouth on the ropes around John. They were filthy. Dirt covered them and frayed pieces came apart in my mouth. I even thought I tasted a bit of blood. I grimaced and leaned back quickly, spitting on the ground.

"Ugh! That's so gross!" I moaned.

"Well yeah," he said matter-of-factly. "What did you expect?"

"Not _that_! Good lord!" I spit a few more times before sitting up. "Good news though, I think I could actually get it off. The rope is pretty old and rotten."

"Then get it off!" John exclaimed. I scrunched my face in disgust before plunging down toward the rope once more.

With a few careful bites and long minutes, I finally heard the rope snap. I sat up, gasping.

"I did it!" I shouted excitedly. John shushed me instantly before wriggling himself free. He immediately kneeled at my side and tried pulling the ropes off. They didn't budge.

"I need something sharp to cut them," he muttered frustratedly. I grinned and clacked my teeth together a few times. His face fell. "Fuck." John leaned down and gingerly bit down on the rope. Almost as soon as his teeth met the frayed bonds, he recoiled and spit on the ground.

"Not so pleasant is it, Space Boy?" I mocked. He furrowed his brow.

"Space Boy?" He asked deadpan. I shrugged.

"That's what you are, right?" I said undeterred. "Astronauts go in space, you're a boy, so Space Boy."

"That's a gross misunderstanding of my profession-"

"Come on now, hurry up Space Boy!" I interrupted quickly. He scowled at me. "The faster you get these ropes off, the faster we can get out and the faster you never have to see my stupid face again!"

John attacked the rope with new fervor. Within seconds, I was free. I rubbed my arms.

"Wow, didn't think you hated me that much," I grumbled.

"I don't, you just annoy me," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"Right back at you," I said.

Stepping lightly, we made our way to the metal door.

"Okay so here's the plan," John started. "We wait on either side of the door until he comes in. When he enters the room, we sneak out, like you said then close the door behind him and lock it closed. After that, we make a run for it, find a phone, and call the police. Got it?" I nodded.

"Can I just check one thing first?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow questioningly but motioned me on. "Thanks." Moving as quietly as possible, I raised a hand to the large door handle and turned it. To my amazement, the door actually opened.

The Rhino forgot to lock the door.

I turned to John with a triumphant smile. His jaw had fallen open and he was looking at the doorway in shock.

"In a way, I actually feel bad for him," he said shortly. It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"No. Let's get the fuck out of here."

We darted into the hallway, frantically looking either direction. John made an executive choice and ran to our left. I followed quickly behind.

The building was like a maze. I had no idea where we were which did not help with trying to find an exit. We got lost many times, often going in circles, finding random empty rooms and even once ending up back at our holding cell.

Eventually, we found a staircase we had not seen before. Meeting each other's eyes, we shrugged and ran up the stairs. At the top was a door. When it swung open, we were blessed with the cool night breeze. We stumbled into the open air and took in our surroundings.

We were in a dirty sea of buildings and broken cages. There were overgrown vines and bushes covering old benches and trash scattered everywhere.

"Where are we?" I asked, confused, pulling my still damp scarf close to me. I didn't know how it had made it through the water and my kidnapping, but I was grateful for the small comfort it brought.

John took a step forward, examining one of the broken cages. He laughed suddenly. "Not the reaction I expected, I gotta be honest," I said worriedly.

"We're in an abandoned zoo," John said, still laughing. "The fucking _Rhino_ took us to a _zoo_!" I gaped at him.

"Bullshit!" I exclaimed, going quickly to his side. Sure enough, there was a sun bleached sign I could barely make out, but it definitely had a picture of a lion and a biography of him. "No!" I couldn't help the burst of laughter that escaped from my mouth.

I wasn't sure why we were laughing. We were not safe yet, we hadn't even made it out of the zoo. But I think the stress and terror of the situation finally overcame us both, resulting in hysterical laughter in an admittedly ridiculous situation. Of all the places to choose, the Rhino chose an abandoned zoo. The whole thing was insane.

Finally, we managed to stifle our laughter. We weren't home free yet.

Stepping carefully, we weaved in and out through the broken down cages until we reached an old map. There was a bright red star labeled "You Are Here" over the African Animals section of the zoo. I traced an escape route with my finger. We had to go through the Reptile House and the Marine Animals, but we were thankfully close to the exit.

Increasing our pace to a jog, we followed the paths through the zoo until we approached a building with a large metal door adorned with a snake. John and I exchanged glances before he reached for the door.

Suddenly, a loud shot echoed through the silent night. My leg exploded with pain and I screamed, falling to the ground. John's head whipped around to me before looking behind us. I followed his eyes. The Rhino was about fifty feet away, holding up a large gun that was still pointed at me.

I rolled to my back and tried to sit up. John held his hands up in defense.

"Listen," he tried. "Whatever money you are getting, I can double it." The Rhino laughed.

"You couldn't afford it," he said before aiming his gun at John and pulling the trigger. John collapsed to the ground, holding his thigh.

I realized there was no way we were getting out of this now. We were going to be captured again. We never really had a chance to begin with.

Trying to move subtly but quickly, I pulled off my scarf and left it on the ground. The Rhino reached us and went to pick us up. Before he could, I started screaming at the top of my lungs, hoping someone would hear: "SPIDER-MAN WE'RE AT THE OLD ZOO!"

The Rhino growled at me before using the butt of his gun to crash it into the side of my head. My vision went dark.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for all the follows and favs, you guys are incredible!_

 _Much love!_


	17. Chapter 17 - The Plan

When I finally came to, John Jameson was leaning over me lightly slapping my face. I groaned.

"Stop it," I mumbled. He let out a sigh of relief.

"You've been out for almost fifteen minutes," he said hurriedly. "The Rhino locked us in a different room, we aren't underground anymore. I think something is happening outside, I hear fighting." I sat up quickly and nearly passed out again. John held me up gingerly. "Be careful, you have a concussion and you've lost some blood." Oh yeah, we got shot.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded, showing me his thigh. He had fashioned a tourniquet just above the wound.

"I got lucky, it went in and out and missed the artery," John said. "Same with you." I looked down and saw a similar cloth wrapped around my calf.

"Thank you," I said genuinely. He smiled softly and nodded.

Suddenly, there was a large crash outside our room. I winced, getting to my feet and limping to the window. It was dirty and clouded, making it nearly impossible to see out of save for a few shapes and colors. I saw the unmistakable mass of the Rhino and a smaller, leaner blue and red figure swinging around him.

"He found us," I breathed. John came to stand next to me.

"Is that Spider-Man?" He said in disbelief. I grinned.

"Hell yes it is!" I shouted. "We gotta get out of here!" I looked around and saw we were in some sort of work shed. The Rhino must have not had time to put us back to where we were before. Idiot. How did we manage to keep getting captured by him? I grabbed a hammer and made to smash the glass window. Before I could, John's arm reached out and grabbed mine. "Hey!"

"Listen, we are both injured," he tried to reason with me. "Not only that, but Spider-Man isn't the most trustworthy guy to go helping! We should wait here until it's safe!" I groaned.

"You really gonna let your dad's opinion dictate yours?" I spat out. "I don't care that I'm hurt, I have to help him!"

"Why? Why do you care about him?" He demanded. I faltered at this. I couldn't exactly say 'he's my sort of boyfriend that I am falling in love with.'

"Because he's a hero," I said finally. "And I want to help heroes." John looked at me thoroughly unimpressed.

"Bullshit," he said. I shrugged his hand off my arm.

"I don't care if you don't believe me, but I am going to do what's right," I said before crashing the hammer into the window. The glass shattered, leaving a hole in the wall just big enough for me to get through. Taking care to not hit my broken arm or shot leg, I climbed through the window.

I heard John curse loudly but I ignored him. I limped, carefully sneaking closer to the fight. Pausing behind a bench, I saw Peter suddenly fly through the air and crash onto the ground next to me. He was in bad shape. His mask was partly torn off, showing a good portion of his face. His suit was torn up and scratched, blood oozing from it. He moaned in pain and went to sit up before he noticed me. I saw the exposed brown eye squint at me before recognition struck him.

"Emily?!" He hissed, coming to my side. "What are you doing?! Find John and get out of here!"

"Not without you!" I whispered back hotly. Peter swore.

"You're gonna be the death of me," he muttered angrily. "At least stay here, and let me take care of this. Please." He cupped my face, smashing a firm, messy kiss on my lips before swinging away. I reluctantly stayed where I was, watching the fight.

Peter was clearly the smarter of the two, often utilizing the high ground and his natural gymnastic abilities to swing all around the Rhino without stopping. The former, on the other hand, had a technique built purely on mass and brute strength.

"I just wanted to say how ridiculous it is that you made your evil lair be an abandoned zoo," Peter commented as if he were talking about the weather. "I mean, don't I deserve at least a little bit of a challenge? Do you know how easy it was to find you?"

Peter leapt to the top of a cage, webbed Rhino's head, and pulled it in a sharp downward motion, making his head crash to the concrete bellow. The Rhino roared. Peter jumped down, quickly covering his mechanical legs with webbing.

"Obviously it wasn't too easy," Rhino growled. "If it was, you would have found Jameson already." Rhino ripped out of the webs like paper, charging toward Peter.

Peter crouched down, waiting until the last moment before leaping up and landing on the Rhino's back. Peter webbed a makeshift rein on the Rhino's head and started riding him as if he were on a mechanical bull.

All of a sudden, the Rhino got the upper hand, grabbing Peter's left arm and leg from his back and swinging him around a few times before tossing him into a cage. The metal collapsed, covering Peter. I let out an involuntary gasp and stood. He did not move.

The Rhino cackled, moving in to deliver the final blow.

"Stop!" I screamed. The Rhino whipped his head around as I jumped out of my hiding place.

"How many times do I have to lock you up?!" He bellowed at me. Rhino left Peter's side, instead charging toward me.

I began backing up slowly, ready to jump out of the way at the last moment. If there's one thing I learned from his attack at the Daily Bugle, it's that he can't turn sharply when he's in a charge.

As I was walking backward, a broken piece of a cage tripped me, making me fall to the ground. I stood as quickly as I could. He was close now. I was suddenly frozen with fear.

Out of nowhere, a large mass came at me from my right, forcing me out of the way and landing on me. Rhino charged past us, unable to turn. I looked up and saw the face of John.

"Why didn't you move?" He hissed. I was in such shock that I didn't answer him right away. I didn't expect him to be the one to save me, and this sudden change of mind from 'fuck that shit, I'm staying here' to 'let me save you from being crushed by Rhino' was jarring to me.

"Umm," I began eloquently. "I tripped?" John rolled his eyes and helped me to my feet. I looked toward the cage Peter fell through, hoping he was awake. I didn't see any movement. John quickly pulled us into a pair of bushes to hide from the Rhino who was still trying to figure out what happened.

"Where did your boyfriend go?" John demanded. I furrowed my brow in confusion.

"What?"

"Spider-Man. I saw him kiss you. Where is he now?" He said, keeping an eye on Rhino. I

"Rhino smashed him into that cage," I responded, pointing it out and pointedly ignoring the fact that John saw me kiss Spider-Man. I would worry about that later. "I haven't seen him get up yet, I think he's hurt." John huffed.

"Perfect," he grumbled. "Ok, so here's the plan, I saw his gun on the other side of the cage over there, I'm going to go grab it. While I do that, you distract him. We have to take him out and be done with it."

"You mean, kill him?" I breathed. John looked at me incredulously.

"This man kidnapped us, tortured us, wanted to sell me and kill you," He said lowly. "Yeah, I'm gonna kill the son of a bitch." I hesitated. I didn't especially like the idea of being a part of a murder. But then again, was it really murder? Or self defense?

What would Peter do?

He wouldn't kill him. I know he wouldn't. But he had crazy spider powers to fight him. John and I had nothing. We were screwed. I rubbed my face in frustration.

"Pet-I mean-Spider-Man wouldn't want us to kill him," I said finally. "We have to find another way to take him down." John groaned in anger.

"Alright then genius," he spat out. "You got another idea? Because he's coming this way!"

Sure enough, when I peeked out of the bushes, Rhino was only ten feet away at most. I was about to duck back to hide when I noticed something. His mechanical suit was giving off sparks on his shoulders. It seems like when Peter smashed his head down into the concrete it broke part of his suit.

If we could get him out of the suit, he would be a regular guy. John was strong and I knew a little bit about fighting, we could definitely take him on.

I shot down again and grabbed John's arm.

"His suit is broken!" I whispered urgently. "If we can immobilize his suit then he will be forced to get out of it, making it possible for us to knock him out." John nodded slowly.

"Okay," he agreed. "How do we break his suit all the way?"

"We stick to your plan," I said hurriedly. "I distract him, you run behind him, and grab his gun. But instead of killing him, you aim for his back. I think that's where the power comes from."

"Sounds like a plan. Ready?"

We both crouched and waited for the Rhino to pass us. When he was a few feet past our hiding bush, we jumped out. John ran to find the gun and I stood in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Hey ugly!" I screeched. The Rhino turned quickly and growled at me. I laughed. "I think the fact you turned around at the name 'ugly' means you think you are ugly too. It's not healthy to have such low self-esteem, Rhino," I mocked.

"That's it!" Rhino bellowed. "I'm going to kill you!" I shrugged.

"You've already tried a few times to get rid of me and I'm still here," I commented, trying to not be intimidated. Out of nowhere, I heard a blessedly familiar _thwip_ and a gentle landing behind me. I turned and saw Peter.

He was bruised and bloody, but he was awake and alive. I felt my body sag with relief. Peter approached me and gently pushed me behind him. I grabbed his shoulder and pushed my face close to his ear.

"We have to distract him," I whispered, trying not to move my lips in case Rhino could read them. "John is getting Rhino's gun, he's going to shoot the back of his suit to destroy it." I saw Peter give the slightest nod, just enough to give me an indication that he had understood what I said. The Rhino started crouching down, getting ready to charge at us.

"Get on my back," he muttered quietly, just for me to hear him. I leapt up without question, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his shoulders. I felt his body tense as Rhino burst forward.

Just before Rhino could hit us, Peter jumped high into the air. As we were landing, Peter started to once again web Rhino's legs to the ground. But this time, he didn't stop there. Once we safely on solid floor, Peter webbed his arms together and to the ground as well.

"Guys!" We heard a voice shout behind us. Peter and I whipped our heads around and saw John holding a large gun pointed toward us and Rhino. "Get out of the way!"

Peter quickly shot a web at the nearby cage and swung us toward it, stopping just before we collided with the bars. As soon as we were out of distance, John shot the gun and Rhino's back.

The back of the suit exploded, shooting out sparks and metal. Peter enveloped me, protecting me from much of the blast.

Once the explosion stopped, Peter released me and bolted toward the Rhino. Peter ripped open the suit, pulled out an unconscious Rhino, and dragged him away from the wreckage. Carefully, he webbed him to a nearby tree. As soon as Rhino was secure, Peter came back to my side and checked me for injuries.

"I'm fine Peter," I insisted as he circled me. When he was sure I wasn't too badly hurt, he embraced me. I clutched the spandex of his suit, unwilling to let him go. Eventually, I began to pull away but Peter didn't let me go too far. He softly touched my bruised face where Rhino had slapped me multiple times. He placed a gentle kiss on it. I leaned in to kiss him, but a pointed cough stopped me. I looked over Peter's shoulder to see John approaching us. I quickly stepped away from Peter, even though I knew John had a pretty good idea of our romantic involvement.

"Spider-Man, this is John Jameson," I said, turning Peter around to face John. "John, Spider-Man." They shook hands awkwardly.

"Thanks, man," John said. Peter tried to keep his head down to avoid showing John the side of his face that was maskless.

"Sorry I couldn't find you sooner," Peter replied. John shrugged.

"You found us, that's all I care about," he said. "My father is wrong about you. I'll tell him so." Peter smiled.

"I appreciate that," he said, looking up at John finally. John's eyes narrowed.

"Wait," He said. "Your mask-I think I know you." Peter and I froze.

"Oh what nonsense!" I said hurriedly, grabbing Peter's head and pushing it down out of sight. He yelped. "He's no one important, there's no way you know him!"

"No I do know you!" John insisted. "You're that guy who takes pictures of Spider-Man, I've seen you in my dad's office! Parker!" Peter sighed and straightened, ripping off the remains of his mask.

"Peter," he introduced. John stared at him for several moments.

"You earn money from my father by taking photos of yourself and giving them to him?" He asked finally. Peter hesitated, shrugged, and then nodded.

"I suppose so," he said. John blinked. Then he laughed.

"That is _amazing_!" He yelled, still laughing. "I love this so much!" I chuckled.

"You can't tell anyone though, John," I said quickly. "No one can know." He nodded, still smiling.

"Yeah of course," John said. "You saved my life, keeping your secret is the least I can do." Peter and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," I said, giving John a hug. He hugged me back for a few seconds before releasing me.

"Don't want to make Spider-Man jealous," he teased. Peter chuckled.

"It takes more than that to make me jealous," he said. "Come on, we gotta find a phone to call the police.

* * *

 _Getting close to the end guys!_

 _Man it was so hard to write this chapter, I suck at action scenes. Hope it worked okay!_


	18. Chapter 18 - Epilogue

When the police arrived, John and I were sitting outside the gates waiting for them. Rhino was still knocked out inside the zoo.

It was hard to explain the full story to the officers. They didn't really understand what happened the first two times we told them, so we had to keep repeating ourselves until it clicked for them. They wrote everything down and escorted us to a nearby ambulance.

The ride to the hospital was long and dull. John and I made small talk, but the drivers and EMT's were so focused making sure we weren't dying to talk to us. Which was understandable.

John and began to bond over our shared experience, and by the time we separated in the hospital, we had exchanged phone numbers and promises to keep in touch.

It had barely been thirty minutes since I had been examined by an ER doctor that Peter came rushing through the curtains. He carefully maneuvered around my bed and held me closely.

"Thank god you're okay," he murmured into my hair. I didn't respond. I just wanted to enjoy the moment with him.

"I'm sorry," I breathed, tears welling in my eyes. "I'm so sorry. That was such a stupid idea." He chuckled and leaned back, holding my face gently.

"It was," he readily agreed. "However, John would have been gone by now and I would be dead if not for you. You did good." I smiled through my tears. He returned my smile before his face hardened slightly. "But let's not do this ever again, shall we?" I nodded quickly.

"I'm not a huge fan of being a hero," I admitted. "It's far too stressful." Peter grinned and leaned his forehead against mine.

"It's a good thing you have me then," he said. He brushed a few tendrils away from my face and placed a soft kiss on my nose. I laughed.

"You certainly have a thing for my nose," I said. "You keep kissing it." Peter pulled away from my embrace and looked at me, his face blank and serious.

"Have you seen your nose?" He asked, a hint of a smile. "It's fucking adorable." I laughed again and he allowed a full smile to cross his face.

We spent the next few moments laying together in the hospital bed, enjoying each other's company and the triumph over the Rhino. Soon, the doctor pulled back the curtain and walked in. She examined a clipboard before looking up at us.

"Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson," she began. I flashed a sideways glance to Peter whose face had turned a brilliant shade of red. "Emily's wounds are relatively minor. She has a concussion and bruising around her eye obviously, but nothing that prevents her from going home. Do you have any questions for me?" We shook our heads. "Good, then let me sign these papers and we can get you discharged."

When she left to go sign the forms, I turned to Peter. He pointedly avoided my gaze.

"Pete?" I began.

"Yes?"

"Did you say you were my husband so you could come back here with me?" I questioned. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I-uh-well it's a distinct possibility that I may have done that," Peter said almost too quickly for me to understand. I shook my head but smiled.

"Lying to people now, huh?" I teased. "That's how it starts. Soon you'll be a villain just like Jameson says." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure," He said. "That will definitely happen." Peter once again brushed my hair back from my face and kissed my forehead.

"Thank you Pete," I whispered, suddenly serious. "For everything." He smiled sadly.

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here," he murmured.

"We talked about this," I said in exasperation. "I want to be with you. I don't care about the risks. I'm happy. Aren't you happy?"

"Happier than I've been in a long time," he admitted. My heart thumped excitedly. I held his hand tightly.

"Well there," I said. "Case closed."

"As you wish."

* * *

After a few weeks, the Daily Bugle was completely repaired. Begrudgingly, this also meant I had to go back to work.

The morning was pretty uneventful, although Betty gave me one of the biggest hugs I'd ever had in my life when I first arrived.

After lunch, I was called into Jameson's office. I walked in tentatively and shut the door. Everything was almost exactly how it had been before the Rhino attacked, all of his books were cleaned up, his furniture was fixed, and the window was completely repaired, although under careful inspection I noticed it was much thicker than it had previously been. My boss was seated behind his desk smoking his signature cigar.

"Sit down Anderson," he said gruffly. I obeyed him immediately. "My son told me something very interesting about the night you and he escaped together." I gulped worriedly. _Had John not kept Peter's secret after all?_

"What's that, sir?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible. His eyes met mine.

"He tells me Spider-Man saved you both," Jameson said. "Obviously the two of you were hit over the head before the police came. Spider-Man and Rhino were in cahoots together after all." I gaped unabashedly.

"You don't even believe your own son?" I asked incredulously. He shrugged.

"I believe he believes that," he huffed. "But that doesn't follow what we know about Spider-Man. He must have used some sort of spider venom we are unaware of to brainwash you both. I need you to research possible motives and possibilities for your altered mental state-"

"No."

Jameson blinked once, sat up straight, put out his cigar, and looked me in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, I believe I just heard you say 'no' to me," he said, dangerously quieter than I had ever heard him before. "You will write what I tell you to write. That is your job. And I'm telling you to write about Spider-Man." I took a deep breath before continuing.

"With all due respect, _sir_ ," I began angrily. "I won't be a part of your smear campaign against Spider-Man anymore. I want to work in a different department. If you don't move me, I will quit. I'm a damn good writer, you can't afford to lose me." I crossed my arms stubbornly. "Get someone else to write it."

Jameson said nothing for a few moments. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"You'll write the obituary section," he said finally. "Your pay will go down until you can prove to me your worth the money." He reached over to his phone and picked it up. "Ms. Bryant!" He barked into it. Instead of hearing Betty's voice coming through the phone, I heard the door behind me open. I turned to see Betty's face in the doorway.

"Yes sir?" She asked.

"Get me the new kid!" Jameson demanded. Betty nodded once before disappearing. It was less than a minute before she reappeared, bringing in a young blonde man behind her. His angular face shone with excitement.

"Hello Mr. Jameson!" He said. "My name is Eddie Brock-"

"I don't care," Jameson interrupted quickly. "You want to write?" Eddie nodded. "You gonna question me?"

"No sir, absolutely not sir!"

"Good. You're our new Spider-Man reporter," Jameson said. "Anderson, give Brock all your Spidey research and get out." I nodded once and walked out of Jameson's office with Eddie Brock.

We walked silently to my desk. It wasn't until I handed him all of the files before he spoke to me.

"Aren't you supposed to be writing Spider-Man?" Eddie asked slowly. I nodded. "Why aren't you?"

"Jameson and I have differing views on Spider-Man," I said. "I didn't want to write his view anymore."

"But a job is a job, right?" He said.

"I thought so at first too," I admitted. "But after being saved by him so much. . .its hard to lie about someone once they save your life."

"Fair enough," he said. "Well, thanks."

"No problem. Good luck, Brock." We shook hands and he left.

* * *

I had just flopped down on my bed when my phone started ringing. I groaned but reached over to it. The caller ID said "Pete." I perked up instantly and answered.

"Hey," I said softly. I heard a chuckle through the loud wind on his side of the line.

"Hey yourself," He said. "I was just swinging by your place, you home and up for a visitor?"

"Of course!" I said brightly. "When will you be here?"

"Look outside."

Startled, I turned to my window and saw Peter fully decked out in his Spidey uniform and hanging upside down. I laughed, hung up the phone and went to open the window.

"You couldn't use the door like a normal person?" I teased, bending down to his level. Peter laughed.

"Where's the fun in that?" He said. I smiled and leaned out the window slightly. He was still hanging upside down. I bit my lip and carefully extended my hands to the ends of his mask like I had done in the alley way which seemed like ages ago. I rolled down his mask, exposing his mouth. It was smirking. "Just what are you doing, lady?" Peter asked me. I grinned and crashed my lips down to meet his.

* * *

 _Alright, the end for now guys! Thank you all so much for your kind words and support!_

 _I am in the middle of planning a sequel for this story, which I hope to have started within the next week or two. I have a lot of research to do since I don't know a whole lot about the new character I'm going to be writing and I want to do them justice. I'm sure you can already guess who that is, I wasn't subtle._

 _I'll post a new chapter here when I have the new story up in case you don't have me favorited or on an email alert or whatever. :)_

 _Thank you so much again, I love you all!_


	19. Sequel!

Hello everyone!

This is just to let you guys know the sequel to this story is now up! The title is _As You Wish!_

Thanks again for reading, much love!


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